Tony Adams insists Roy Hodgson has made a terrible mistake not selecting Chelsea’s John Terry

John Terry: Will England miss their former skipper?

Former Arsenal defender Tony Adams believes England manager Roy Hodgson has made a terrible mistake my not calling on John Terry for this summers World Cup.

Terry retired from international football after he was embroiled in a racism controversy years ago. The former England captain has been in majestic form over the last season and there were calls from the likes of Gary Lineker insisting that he would be a big miss in Brazil.

Adams, a tough-tackling centre-back in his time, believes having Terry in the squad would have been brilliant for England’s chances and insists that Hodgson should have done more to bring the Chelsea defender out of retirement. Adams believes the lack of experience in the England rearguard leaves the country susceptible against the big teams.

Adams told reporters: “You’ve got the most experienced and the best centre-half in the country in John Terry sitting at home – which is great for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea. He’s probably rubbing his hands together.

“I don’t understand why Terry’s not out there. He’s 33, he started 34 of Chelsea’s 38 games [in the Premier League]. He’s not a man in decline but he’s a man who’s playing in one of the top clubs in the country. He also plays with Gary Cahill.

“Then you’ve got Ashley Cole. And then there’s Glen Johnson, who knows him from his Chelsea days. I see that as really the best back four in the country by far. For me that defence could go pretty much all the way.”

Terry was rewarded with a new one-year contract after his brilliant season.