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John Terry revealed how much it meant to him to be back playing at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, but closed the door on a return to international football.
The former England captain shook hands with England manager Roy Hodgson (above) as he collected his man of the match award after Chelsea beat Tottenham in the Capital One Cup final.
During Terry’s long England career he was a fixture at Wembley, but since he retired from international football under a cloud in September 2012 he had not been back to Wembley to play until Sunday, although he was on the bench for an FA Cup semi-final in April 2013.
Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratingsShow all 24 1 /24Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Petr Cech Trusted ahead of Thibaut Courtois, Cech played precisely as expected: with calm assurance, making a few comfortable saves during Spurs’ spell on top. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Branislav Ivanovic Did all the dirty work required of him, throwing himself in front of shots and opponents as Chelsea saw off Spurs’ early pressure. 7
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Kurt Zouma Drafted into midfield by Jose Mourinho, he did not influence the game much with the ball but stuck attentively to Christian Eriksen, restricting Spurs’ attacking options. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings John Terry Had to defend well in the first half but it was his power at the opposite end which set up the 13th trophy of his time at Chelsea. 7
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Cesar Azpiliqueta Occasionally left isolated by Eden Hazard’s attacking, especially in the first half, but he coped with Andros Townsend and Kyle Walker with all his characteristic solidity. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Ramires His energy and effort in midfield helped to restrict Eriksen and Chadli’s opportunities, ensuring Chelsea did not get overrun as they did back on New Year’s Day. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Gary Cahill Back alongside Terry at centre-back, he coped impressively with the threat of Harry Kane and then saw out the win in the second half. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Cesc Fabregas Only produced a few decisive moments in possession – but did nearly beat Hugo Lloris with an overhead kick early in the second half – but it was enough. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Willian He ran hard up and down the right flank, pinning back Danny Rose even if he did not delvier a decisive moment in attack. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Diego Costa Spent almost an hour running and scrapping before he settled the game, winning space and beating Hugo Lloris – via a deflection - from a tight angle. 7
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Eden Hazard Chelsea’s only player to produce any real quality in a poor first half but kept teasing Spurs at 2-0 and nearly scored a brilliant third. 7
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Best of the Bench: Juan Cuadrado Ensured that Chelsea’s energy levels did not drop in the final minutes, shuttling up and down the wing after replacing Willian. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Hugo Lloris His selection ahead of Michel Vorm was ultimately irrelevant, as he was powerless to keep out either goal, deflected away from him at close range. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Kyle Walker Looked nervous every time Eden Hazard ran at him, and lacked the confidence to produce any quality in attack. Deflected the second goal past Hugo Lloris. 4
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Eric Dier This was a difficult afternoon up against Diego Costa and while he deflected the first goal past Hugo Lloris, he coped better than some centre-backs have this season. 5
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Jan Vertonghen Rarely uncomfortable despite the stage and the opposition. Will be disappointed not to have influenced the game more in either penalty area. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Danny Rose Defended solidly enough against Willian and Ivanovic but he could not deliver the quality with his crosses that Spurs needed. 5
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Nabil Bentaleb Hard to believe that he is a 20-year-old rookie, after another midfield performance of impressive maturity and authority. Probably Tottenham’s best player. 7
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Ryan Mason Provided important impetus to Spurs’ play, running from box to box, but his clumsy passing and shooting was symptomatic of their lack of quality in the final third. 6
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Nacer Chadli He was crucial to the 5-3 win two months ago but today he did not have the same sharpness or the burst of pace, rarely threatening Chelsea. 5
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Christian Eriksen After hitting the bar with an early free-kick, Eriksen slightly faded in this game, struggling to find much space or to pick the right passes. 5
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Andros Townsend Preferred to Erik Lamela and while he delivered a few bursts of pace down the line, he could not provide the crucial moments of quality that Spurs needed. 5
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Harry Kane This was not another edition of Kane’s comic-book story. He was largely frustrated by Chelsea’s first-half defending and could not drag Spurs back into the game. 5
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Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 - Capital One Cup final player ratings Best of the Bench: Mousa Dembele Added some presence to midfield but could not create the chances that Spurs needed to turn the game. 5
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So it was an emotional return to the national stadium yesterday afternoon for the former England captain. “They started playing the national anthem before the game and I was going then,” Terry said.
“I was ready before the game, I have missed it, playing in these big stadiums, and in these competitions and I’m delighted to get back to Wembley.”
Terry with his man of the match award and the trophy (Instagram/John Terry) Despite Terry’s excellent form this season – he has been the best centre-back in the country – there is no prospect of a return to international football. The 5-0 win in Moldova two and a half years ago will remain his final cap.
“No is the simple answer,” Terry said, when asked about a return. “I don’t want to go into it right now. Being back at Wembley, the atmosphere, the stadium, it’s one of the best I have played in, but it’s never crossed my mind. I have drawn a line under it and the England squad can move on now.”
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