John Terry says his "broad shoulders" have allowed him to forget
his personal problems and focus on winning honours with Chelsea and
England.
Terry has been impressive on the pitch for the Premier League
leaders this season but allegations about his private life led to
him being stripped of the England captaincy.
Ahead of Wednesday Champions League clash with Inter Milan,
the 30-year-old told The Sun: "I'm responding by doing what I've
always done - by looking straight ahead. I've got broad shoulders
and nobody's going to knock me out of my stride.
"I am strong enough and passionate enough to know I will
carry on delivering my best for club and country.
"Absolutely nothing will change. I've already admitted that
losing the captaincy hurt but that's in the past and all I want to
do now is move forward and carry on giving my best for England.
"I'm on a mission and nothing is going to distract me. I want
to win the Champions League and Premier League for Chelsea and help
win the World Cup for England.
"I'm not ashamed to say it, I wouldn't be John Terry if I
felt any differently."
Footballers' behaviour has been in the spotlight again this
week, with lurid revelations about the private life of Terry's
Chelsea team-mate Ashley Cole.
The captain, though, thinks players should be judged by what
they do on the pitch.
"People talk about setting an example - and believe me, out
on the pitch, that's all I want to do, whether it's for Chelsea or
England," he continued.
"I firmly believe fans want to judge me on the one thing I
expect to be judged on - my football - and that's all I could ever
ask for."
Terry also revealed he uses Chelsea's Champions League
heartache from 2008, when he missed a crucial penalty in the
shootout against Manchester United, as motivation.
He added: "There's a shirt on my wall at home - the shirt I
wore when I missed that penalty. It's there as a daily reminder to
me of what I'm striving for.
"I won't rest until it's replaced by a winner's shirt -
that's my pledge to every Chelsea fan who has stood by me and still
believes in me as a player and as their club's captain."
