JOHN TERRY will run the London Marathon for the first time next month – but he is not expected to wear a full Chelsea kit.
And ex-Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere and Leonardo Bonucci, a member of Italy’s European Championship-winning side, will also tackle the 26.2-mile course on Sunday April 27.
GettyJohn Terry is set to run the London Marathon next month[/caption]
AlamyJack Wilshere is set to run in aid of an important cause[/caption]
Terry, 44, will start the race in Blackheath, South London, alongside former Blues teammate Jody Morris.
The duo will try to raise funds for Rays of Sunshine, a children’s charity that supports and grants special wishes for seriously ill children aged three to 18.
The ex-Chelsea captain won 15 major honours in 19 years with the Blues, including five Premier League crowns and five FA Cups.
Famously, he was suspended for the Champions League victory in 2012 over Bayern Munich but changed into his football top and shorts – and even wore shin pads – to join in with the trophy lift, the on-pitch celebrations and for the photos.
In fairness, Terry had played throughout that European campaign and scored in the Last-16 comeback win over Napoli at Stamford Bridge.
And several other players in the squad had also changed into playing kit once the West Londoners had won the final on penalties at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
Terry retired from football in 2018 after a season with Aston Villa when they lost the Championship Playoff final to Fulham.
Apart from a few coaching gigs, he spends most of his time these days playing golf – he was recently part of an ICONS of Football challenge in Bangkok, Thailand.
Getty Images – GettyJody Morris is set to run alongside old mate Terry[/caption]
Despite a history of major injuries, Wilshere – the winner of 34 England caps – has a strong emotional reason for pounding his way round the streets of the capital.
Wilshere, who retired from football in 2022, will be running to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in recognition of his daughter’s open-heart surgery last year.
Now a first-team coach at Championship side Norwich City, the 33-year-old said: “My family’s life was turned upside down when my little girl Siena was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, which meant she had a hole in her heart.
“She’s since had lifesaving open-heart surgery to repair the hole and is thankfully recovering well.
“Each day around 13 babies in the UK are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. I want to help raise funds and awareness for all the amazing research the BHF Funds.
“And I hope to help other families who have been affected in the same way wewere. I’m proud to be an ambassador for such an amazing charity.”
Leonardo Bonucci – who played at centre-back for Italy as they beat England on penalties at Wembley in the European Championships final in 2021 – will be raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer.
Other well-known football figures at the London Marathon include Oxford United manager Gary Rowett, former Reading and Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell and Irishman Darren Randolph, who used to be a goalkeeper for West Ham.
This will be the 45th edition of the London Marathon and Kenyan athletics legend Eliud Kipchoge returns to the race, which he has won a record four times, after a five-year hiatus.
Leonardo Bonucci retired from football last yearGetty Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
