Lineker: Terry deserves a recall to the England squad

33 year-old Terry has experienced a resurgence under Jose Mourinho and has been in formidable form throughout this season, helping his side to a 1-0 victory over free-scoring Manchester City at the Etihad last night.

The ex-England captain, who was stripped of the armband twice, called time on his career back in 2012 after he was the subject of a racist abuse charge, although many thought it was a matter of him jumping before he was pushed by Hodgson.

However, Lineker believes that Terry, although unsavoury off the pitch, deserves a recall for his performances on it.

Terry celebrates defeating Manchester City

Must be hugely tempting for Roy Hodgson to pick up the phone to John Terry. Solid regular partnership with Cahill. Best option by far.

He may not be an all round good egg, and not appeal to many, but boy can he defend!

Hodgson’s options in central defence are limited, with several candidates in unconvincing form, but he may be unwilling to coax Terry out of the international wilderness despite his excellent partnership with Gary Cahill, who is now widely regarded as first-choice for his country.

With 78 caps Terry would bring a wealth of experience, while his reading of the game is second to none, but having created so many problems for the FA in the past the controversial defender is unlikely to be on the plane to South Africa even if he is a stand out performer for the Blues as he admitted last month “the door is closed” when questioned about a potential comeback