Mourinho says Terry 'may have been too hasty' in announcing retirement from England

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said that he believes club captain John Terry may have been too hasty by announcing his England retirement.

According to the BBC, the 32-year-old defender won 78 caps but quit in September 2012 after a racism row involving Anton Ferdinand.

Mourinho believes his captain could still do a job for his country after recovering his self-esteem, the report said.

The manager said that if he were a football player, he would wait for the national team to say that they did not need him any more, adding that it was just his personal feeling although Terry would have reasons that pushed him for that decision.

Terry was cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League game in October 2011, but said his position in the national team became 'untenable' when the Football Association pursued charges against him, according to the report.

Terry's final appearance for the Three Lions was the 5-0 World Cup qualifying win away to Moldova 13 months ago, the report added.

He made just 11 Premier League starts last season but has been involved in all seven top-flight games since Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer, the report further said.

England manager Roy Hodgson was asked this week whether Terry or Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand could force their way back into his World Cup plans, the report mentioned.

Hodgson said that he liked John Terry, as he did a fantastic job for him at the Euros but it was not the moment to start resurrecting that.