John Terry says he hopes for a few more years at Chelsea before retirement
John Terry is determined to enjoy a successful conclusion to his Chelsea career by continuing to confound his critics.
The 34-year-old, who is adored by many in football and loathed by some, hopes to earn an extension to his contract which expires at the end of the current campaign.
Terry scored the opening goal in a man-of-the-match display in Chelsea's Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham on Sunday.
It was the first trophy of Jose Mourinho's second spell as Blues boss, with Terry still a central figure 10 years after the Portuguese's first Stamford Bridge silverware in the same competition.
"I am fighting for myself and my family, and to prove people wrong," Terry said.
"It doesn't come much bigger than that. I want to give it everything.
"I don't know how long I have left. Hopefully I have a few years left but if this is my last year then I hope it will go out on a bang.
"I have my little target to play next year but beyond that, two or three years (more), I don't know."
Asked if he would play for another club, Terry added: "No, and I also think there's a right time to go as well.
"Certainly I am feeling great at the minute and it would be the wrong time to go.
"But there does come a point where it would be the right time to go, to say it's time to move on and people will remember you that way."
It seems unthinkable that Chelsea will determine that time to be at the end of this season, by which time the Blues skipper may have led them to a first Premier League title in five years.
Chelsea policy dictates that players over the age of 30 are granted 12-month deals.
Terry signed his current deal 48 hours after the end of last season - Mourinho's first back at Stamford Bridge - and could be made to wait until the end of the current campaign before a new deal is negotiated.
"The uncertainty has helped me positively, not having four or five years (under contract) as you get older.
"The roles have reversed and now the power is in the club's hands. That has inspired me."
Terry admitted his emotions were stirred on hearing the national anthem at Wembley, but he has no plans to reconsider his retirement from England duty.
He retired from international football in 2012 after being banned for four matches by the Football Association, despite being cleared at Westminster Magistrates Court of making a racist insult to then QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, brother of his long-time England central defensive partner Rio.
He is still considered by many to be England's leading defender, but has no intention of making himself available to Roy Hodgson.
"I have missed it, playing in these big stadiums and in these competitions and I'm delighted to get back to Wembley," Terry said.
"They started playing the national anthem before the game and I was going then."
Asked if he was considering an England return, Terry, who earned 78 caps, added: "No. It's the simple answer, 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."
His goal was his first in a major final and he is targeting further success this season, with Chelsea in possession of a five-point Premier League lead over second-placed Manchester City, who lost at Liverpool on Sunday.
Chelsea, who have a game in-hand, play at West Ham on Wednesday.
"It was important to get our first trophy together," Terry added.
"I spoke in the week about this being a springboard, like it did when the manager came in in 2004-05. It had that effect then and hopefully it does now.
"We are delighted to see City lose points, but we go again on Wednesday and it's another tough one. It's a derby but we want the three points."
