John Terry’s farewell tour begins when Chelsea travels to Vicarage Road to face Watford in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Chelsea skipper Terry revealed he will not be offered a new contract at Stamford Bridge after the club’s 5-1 demolition of MK Dons in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
The former England captain will therefore end his 17-and-a-half-year playing career with his boyhood club, having made 690 appearances to date and won every major club honor, including four Premier League titles.
Terry is set to lead Chelsea at Vicarage Road this week as the visiting side looks to extend its nine-match unbeaten run in all competitions since Guus Hiddink took over from Jose Mourinho.
And even though the reigning champion still sits some 14 points adrift of the top four, Terry’s central-defensive partner Gary Cahill believes the team has turned the corner.
“We look like we are going in the right direction,” Cahill said. “Of course, the first half of the season was a disaster. But there was another good performance in the FA Cup, not just the result but the way we moved the ball.
“If you get results and don’t lose games, it breeds confidence and everything comes back. I wouldn’t say we are totally there yet but we are definitely going in the right direction.”
The win over MK Dons also saw Eden Hazard end his long wait for a goal this season, but Willian picked up a late knock.
Hiddink may rest the Brazilian as a result, but Alexandre Pato could come in after completing his loan move from Corinthians last week.
Watford is sure to provide a stern test to Hiddink’s unbeaten run, though, with Quique Sanchez Flores’ side buoyed by the FA Cup victory at Nottingham Forest, which was sealed by Odion Ighalo’s 89th-minute winner.
Flores’ team bounced back from four straight top-flight losses with a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in its last league game, and claimed a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day.
Spain international midfielder Mario Suarez could make his Watford debut on Wednesday, and he cannot wait to get going after joining from Fiorentina on Saturday.
“I am really excited,” Suarez told the club’s official website. “I want to start working to know all of my team-mates and to start playing for Quique, for the Watford fans and for the club.”