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The shift pattern at Chelsea might be about to change but with a hashtag and a dozen letters, John Terry offered one more reason why he is going to be hard to replace.
Terry, as it stands, is into the final 10 days of a career which started at 17 with a debut in the League Cup against Aston Villa and appears set to close against Leicester at the age of 35.
There has been no late offer to extend his contract, he was conspicuous by his absence from the kit launch photographs released this week and, according to sources close to the club, his farewell preparations have extended to hiring the pitch at Stamford Bridge next week for a party.
It costs £22,000 for a package which includes dressing rooms, match officials, access to the stadium screens and public address system and a barbecue.
Chelsea continue to hedge bets on Terry and Guus Hiddink is skilled at dodging the question about his captain, who returned from injury for Monday’s dust-up with Spurs.
One fiery 2-2 draw later, he posted an Instagram message to say ’27 years now #notonmyshift’.
It was a reference to Tottenham’s long winless run at the Bridge, another emotional bulls-eye with the fans who adore him and another hint that this was his last London derby.
A summer of great upheaval is in store at Chelsea, which may be a good time to split with the skipper.
There seems little desire to keep him from the decision-makers at the top of the club.
Jose Mourinho championed Terry’s last two, one-year contract extensions and he has gone.
A warm relationship with Hiddink counts for little with Antonio Conte on the way, bringing with him a fondness for a back-three and a list of possible recruits dominated by players from Serie A.
Perhaps Conte is confident he can survive without Terry.
Perhaps he prefers younger, quicker, emerging centre halves like John Stones and Antonio Rudiger.
Perhaps it is easier to herald a new dawn without such a strong link to that great team built in Mourinho’s first spell.
Perhaps it has been decreed that it is time for a new face of the club.
It was never going to go down well but Chelsea supporters are puzzled after watching Terry alongside Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic, who have both been below par this season and yet extended their contracts.
Terry will be 36 in December — and Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have proved that top centre halves can go quickly — but with no European football next season the workload would be lighter.
An editorial in the March edition of fanzine cfcuk said: ‘It appears that certain individuals at Chelsea completely fail to understand the relationship that supporters build with the players they idolise.
‘It seems some in charge are happy shopping for individual footballers who may not necessarily have an affinity with the club but are capable of doing a job before they move on to pastures new or, so it seems, are simply discarded.’ 
The club-loyal, lionhearted footballer once thrived in English football but is in decline. Steve Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have gone from Liverpool. Terry is one of few remaining.
His conduct has embarrassed the club at times and he has been paid £150,000 a week, so no-one is crying for his predicament. But he will leave a void when he goes.
Terry has been a rarity, combining the lust for battle of an old-school, English centre half with two good feet, a range of passing and an ability to read the game.
He has been one of the great captains of the Premier League era.
How do you replace leadership qualities rooted in his affection for the club at all levels?
His interest in the youth system is genuine and he dug into his own pocket and raised money from the first-team dressing room when the Chelsea Ladies took a budget cut.
As for the art of a farewell, Chelsea are yet to master it. Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech shuffled off without one. Didier Drogba took things into his own hands.
Terry, too, tried to seize the initiative in January after an FA Cup tie at MK Dons when he revealed that he had not been offered a new deal and was not expecting one.
Terry, seen here with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, was named PFA Player of the Year in 2005.
It was not well received and since then he’s only started five games, largely due to injuries.
Chelsea were searching for a new manager and explained that his future was part of a broader recruitment strategy, but Conte was confirmed last month and has met with Terry. Still no contract talks.
Two years ago, it was mid-May before he signed but Mourinho had made it quite clear he was going nowhere, not on his shift.
Terry had different vibes this time, ordering his representatives to step up the search for another club.
He feels fit, will play on and remains opposed to the idea of ever playing against Chelsea.
This rules out moving to another English club but a year in European football is no longer out of the question.
Chelsea supporters have made it clear that they do not want the club to let the popular skipper leave.
CARRIER IN CLUB.
- As of 2 May 2016.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 1998–99 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2000–01 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2001–02 | 33 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4[b] | 1 | – | 47 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1[c] | 1 | – | 29 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13[d] | 0 | – | 51 | 3 | ||
| 2004–05 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 11[d] | 4 | – | 53 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 50 | 7 | |
| 2006–07 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 45 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11[d] | 2 | – | 51 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10 | 37 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 52 | 3 | |
| 2010–11 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 46 | 4 | |
| 2011–12 | 31 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 1 | – | 44 | 7 | ||
| 2012–13 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8[f] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 27 | 6 | |
| 2013–14 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12[g] | 0 | – | 47 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7[d] | 2 | – | 49 | 8 | ||
| 2015–16 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| Total | 482 | 40 | 55 | 11 | 35 | 2 | 124 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 702 | 66 | |
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 1999–2000 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 488 | 40 | 55 | 11 | 35 | 2 | 124 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 708 | 66 | |
International
- As of 7 September 2012.
| England national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2003 | 6 | 0 |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 |
| 2005 | 6 | 0 |
| 2006 | 14 | 2 |
| 2007 | 7 | 1 |
| 2008 | 6 | 2 |
| 2009 | 10 | 1 |
| 2010 | 7 | 0 |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 78 | 6 |
Honours
Club
- FA Premier League (4): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15
- FA Cup (5): 1999–00, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12
- Football League Cup (3): 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15
- FA Community Shield (2): 2005, 2009
- UEFA Champions League (1): 2011–12
- UEFA Europa League (1): 2012–13
Individual
- Chelsea Player of the Year: 2001, 2006
- PFA Players’ Player of the Year: 2004–05
- Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2014–15
- ESM Team of the Year: 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10
- FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- UEFA Club Defender of the Year: 2005, 2008, 2009
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006
- UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (substitute; published 2015)