John Terry Was Made a Pariah by the FA and Owes England Nothing

Here we go again. A new England manager replaces a failed regime, and as he bids to lead the country into a new era, it's John Terry who still dominates the conversation.

According to reports, Sam Allardyce had given serious consideration to including the Chelsea captain in his first Three Lions squad. That was announced on Sunday after the latest round of Premier League fixtures came to an end, with Terry's exclusion showing that Big Sam eventually had other ideas.

The Mirror has gone so far as to suggest that it was the FA's powerbrokers who got cold feet over the idea of a potential recall for Terry. Allardyce conceded last week that he may look to 35-year-old Terry, but at a board meeting, it was decided to go against the idea.

With Terry not in the England squad, we can all move on to the next chapter and focus on the defenders Allardyce has actually picked. In that sense, debate over Terry is no longer relevant. However, his treatment by those who lead English football remains a sore point.

Terry's chequered history with the football authorities and his England career has always been impacted by moments away from the pitch. When he was first coming through at Stamford Bridge, an impending court case over a nightclub brawl prevented him from playing for England's Under-21s, and right through to his 78th cap, he was judged on anything but his footballing ability.

Back in 2002, Terry had himself to blame. He would later be cleared of all charges against him after allegedly attacking a nightclub bouncer along with team-mate Jody Morris in January that year, but it was his unprofessional attitude at the time that needed to be put in check.

Terry had been out drinking 48 hours before an FA Cup tie with Norwich City, which didn't speak highly of the approach to his profession. The legal case that followed was a sorry affair, and Terry would later admit he had made a big error.

"It helped me grow up a lot and made me a better man," he later explained in an interview with Chelsea magazine. "I still maintain that I didn't do anything wrong that night except for being out two nights before a game. I hold my hands up for that and I’ve apologised for it."

Since then, it has been alleged affairs and racism that has meant the FA dishing out discipline. In each case, they have been wrong.

In 2010, Terry was stripped of the England captaincy when news broke of an apparent affair with the ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge, who had been a team-mate of Terry's for club and country. The FA's strong-arm approach unsettled England just a few months ahead of the World Cup, leading to further problems in the England dressing room.

Coach Fabio Capello didn't support the idea, and post-South Africa, Terry's captaincy was later restored. Then, in October 2011, Terry was accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

It wasn't until after Euro 2012—Terry again lost his role as captain for the tournament—that the court case was heard and Terry was cleared of any wrongdoing. Despite the courts clearing him, the FA still pursued Terry and banned him for four matches along with a £220,000 fine in September 2012.

That's what ended his England career. Shortly before the verdict was out, Terry announced his retirement. In so doing, it brought the curtain down on what should have been one of the finest careers in the English game.

Now, when we speak of Terry's time as an England player, it's not his influence and moments of genuine quality that are the topic; it's one of wasted talent. His legacy shouldn't be about bans and politics, but it is.

His behaviour as a youngster stunted his England development, but when he became the standout defender of his generation, the attention he attracted away from the pitch is what dictated Terry's fate. The FA shouldn't have allowed that happen. Issues from Terry's personal life should never have been debated within the corridors of Wembley Stadium.

Rather than discussing his merits as a footballer, the FA went well beyond and looked at every facet of Terry's life. The alleged affair with Bridge's ex-partner was never proven, being nothing more than tabloid headlines.

By attacking Terry and demoting him in the England setup, the FA fed the frenzy. The hyperbole hit fever pitch, and it meant the verdict ran through to the summer as the press and fans watched Terry's every move.

The FA even saw fit to deem their own flawed disciplinary procedures to be greater than the British legal system with the ban and fine that followed the Ferdinand judgement.

It all meant Terry became a pariah of English football. The England captain would travel to away stadiums with Chelsea and be booed. Yes, the man supposed to be leading his country had become a hate figure.

There wasn't enough support, and that view of Terry remains now. Terry still divides opinion, and his treatment by the English authorities has played a big part in etching the impression into the consciousness of English football fans.

We shouldn't be lamenting Terry's absence with England. We should be celebrating his career and paying homage to a player who should have surpassed 100 caps for his country. Terry only got to 78, missing the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 because of an early retirement forced by issues away from the game.

Since he left the England setup, Terry's never been replaced. A big, gaping hole sits at the heart of defence and the Three Lions are worse off for it. It's why, with every major tournament or managerial appointment England make, Terry becomes a talking point.

England need Terry, but he doesn't need them. He owes England nothing.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.