John Terry back to doing what he does best as fans show support

JOHN Terry let his football do the talking yesterday as he made his first public appearance since being sacked as England captain.

Earlier in the day, health minister Mike O'Brien weighed into the furore claiming manager Fabio Capello's decision to demote the player was "crass". The Chelsea skipper's own response was to lead his team to a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Terry received strong support from the home crowd, with many turning out in Team Terry T-shirts, or waving banners hailing their "leader and legend".

As the game kicked off chants of "there's only one England captain" echoed around the stadium. Gunners fans replied with a rendition of: "You're not captain, you're not captain, you're not captain anymore." But they were soon silenced as Terry flicked on a header for Didier Drogba to score in the eighth minute.

A typically combative performance saw Terry in need of thigh strapping in the second half, but even as he received treatment a banner was visible behind him which read: "Terry is Mr Chelsea Legend." As the match finished, Terry made a point of applauding the crowd, blowing kisses to his fans and beating his heart with his hand.

Drogba, whose two first-half goals put Chelsea back on top of the Barclays Premier League, said it had been a difficult week for the team, but the players had offered Terry their full support. He said: "I think it's a matter of time, but we will stick together. We offered him as much support as we can. The best thing for him is to play."

Mr O'Brien, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth, threatened to add fuel to the fire earlier when he wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter: "The sacking of Terry is crass. Capello has bowed to tabloid pressure. Infidelity is bad, but I saw no signs of fatigue in his football." Asked about the Tweet, a Department of Health spokeswoman said it was a personal matter and the department had no comment.

Meanwhile, Capello, in Warsaw for the Euro 2012 draw, told reporters: "I spoke with John Terry, you all know why. It was a private conversation."

He added: "No other questions. I am concentrated on football and I want to speak about the draw (for 2012 European Championships]. Nothing else."

As he surveyed the media scrum, he said: "I am not surprised by the number of journalists. I was waiting for them. But it has been a normal week for me. There have been no problems."

The sacking followed a week of lurid headlines about Terry's alleged behaviour. Allegations first surfaced a week last Friday that the 29-year-old had an extra-marital affair with lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-partner of England team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Terry and Ms Perroncel were the subject of more front page headlines yesterday, suggesting the public's appetite for the scandal is undimmed.

The footballer has received a fierce barracking from opposition fans and in the media. But the Chelsea faithful and coach Carlo Ancelotti have stood by their man who will at least receive plaudits for his performance on the pitch.

Bridge, a one-time Chelsea team-mate of Terry's, returned to the Manchester City starting line-up on Saturday following injury. He was also subject to some taunts during the match at Hull, who beat Manchester City 2-1.