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Chelsea planning surprises for John Terry as defender bids farewell

Terry saluted the fans after scoring on his penultimate home game for the club
Image: John Terry will conclude his Chelsea career at Stamford Bridge on Sunday

Chelsea are planning a number of surprises for captain John Terry today as he plays for the last time at Stamford Bridge after 22 years at the club.

And the club will give free beer, prosecco and water for supporters in general admission areas to celebrate their Premier League title triumph.

One of the proposals that has been discussed as a tribute to Terry is retiring his number 26 shirt when he leaves after next Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal.

Even if the number 26 shirt is not officially retired, it is unlikely any Chelsea player would ever wear the number again.

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Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has compared club captain John Terry to the likes of Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and Paolo Maldini

Gianfranco Zola's number 25 shirt was not officially retired, but it has not been allocated to a Chelsea player since he left in 2003.

Terry is not guaranteed to start the final league game of the season against Sunderland, with manager Antonio Conte saying on Friday he wanted his final decision to be a "surprise".

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Even though the title has already been secured, Conte has set his players the target of beating Sunderland to become the first side to win 30 matches in a 38-game season.

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After the game, Terry will lift the Premier League trophy with vice-captain Gary Cahill.

Terry has played 716 times for Chelsea and won 15 major trophies since he joined the club when he was 14 in 1995.

Chelsea's English defender John Terry (L) celebrates with Chelsea's English defender Gary Cahill after winning the English Premier League football match be
Image: Terry will lift the Premier League trophy with Gary Cahill on Sunday

Conte, who has been linked with a move away from the club, insists he has a huge desire to continue winning trophies at Stamford Bridge.

"I think that we started to light the fire," Conte said.

"If you want to have a good season, you must have always this fire in your soul, in your heart, in your head. It's very important."

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