By GERARD BRAND
As Branislav Ivanovic headed home for Chelsea’s last-gasp winner in the Europa League final, skipper John Terry must have rushed to the changing rooms in an instant.
Terry, who was unable to play in the 2-1 win over Benfica because of an ankle injury, came out after the final whistle in full kit to help lift the trophy at the Amsterdam ArenA.
But it’s not the first time. Terry did the same in the Champions League final last year after Chelsea’s penalty shootout win over Bayern Munich on their own turf.
That time, Terry had been suspended after being sent off in the semi-final second leg with Barcelona, and he was criticised and mocked for joining the party after jeopardising Chelsea’s hopes of getting there.
And as stand-in captain Frank Lampard walked up the steps with Terry to where Chelsea would receive the trophy, some were wondering whether Terry would get his hands on the trophy first, with some bookies offering 6/1 on the injured defender to lift the trophy first.
There is some sympathy for Terry, with UEFA regulations insisting that any player who wishes to lift the trophy must be wearing kit.
But Lampard held the trophy aloft, while the grinning Terry languished behind him.
Wayne Rooney, who was dropped from Manchester United’s squad for the visit of Swansea, returned to the pitch in full kit after the game to receive his Premier League medal and to lift the trophy.
But spare a thought for those that did it properly. The suspended Roy Keane and Paul Scholes stood out like sore thumbs in the Nou Camp in 1999 as their grass-stained Manchester United team-mates danced around the pitch after their historic Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
Now here’s a thought, imagine telling Keano to put on his full kit for the sake of picking up his medal…
