"I just knew Chelsea was the right club for me" - John Terry says he rejected chance to join Manchester United and Arsenal as a youngster

Legendary Chelsea captain John Terry nearly had a very different career trajectory, with the former England defender talking about Manchester United and Arsenal's attempts to sign him as a teenager.

Terry began his career with West Ham's youth setup before moving to the Blues in 1995. When he was making the cross-London switch, Terry was heavily courted by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the Arsenal hierarchy.

In a recent appearance on William Hill's Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast, the Blues legend said (via The Mirror):

"Arsenal had rolled out the red carpet for me, Man United had done the same, and Chelsea didn’t do anything. All they offered me was a pair of boots [for] my first season and my £2 expenses for getting the train from Barking to Battersea, nothing else. I had Sir Alex Ferguson phoning my house, speaking to my dad and speaking to me on a weekly, monthly basis, checking that I was going to school, that I was doing everything right and training. It was incredible."

Terry claimed that he had his heart set on Chelsea from the moment he walked into the club, adding:

“When I walked into Chelsea I just knew Chelsea was the right club for me. I just felt it was home, you know when you walk into a house and just get the feeling that 'I'm here for the next 20 years', I felt that at Chelsea. I did that for a couple of years and then had a decision to make on who I was signing for but I absolutely loved it... I just fell in love with Chelsea.”

John Terry went on to become one of the greatest players in Chelsea's history. He won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, one Champions League, and one Europa League with the club. He made 717 appearances for the Blues, scoring 67 goals and providing 27 assists.

How John Terry was nearly denied the chance to sign for Chelsea by Manchester United supporting father

Chelsea legend John Terry nearly had his dream of signing for The Blues scuppered by his father, who is a Manchester United fan. In the aforementioned interview, the defender claimed that he was scouted and approached by The Red Devils, but had his heart set on the west London side from day one.

Speaking about the incident on William Hill's Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast, John Terry said:

"When I signed schoolboy forms on the pitch at Chelsea, they put on a meal for you and your family... Before the game, my dad kicks off, [saying] 'You should f***ing sign for Man United'. He's not happy at all - he's a Man United fan, my dad, and he wants me to sign for Man United. Because my dad was probably pushing me there, this was probably my way of going 'No, I'm doing what I want to do'. We're due to go down [to sign] 15 minutes before half-time - and my dad's in the tunnel saying 'I'm not signing the f***ing forms'."

Terry's mother, however, signed the forms for the young defender and he went on to make history at Stamford Bridge.