John Terry thrilled by young lions' roar

It was only five days ago that Terry was seen limping out of The Hawthorns Stadium after being substituted against West Brom. Such was the pain in his foot that the Chelsea defender thought he had suffered a break similar to the one he picked up at Arsenal 11 months ago.

No-one is more aware of the club v country row that has re-emerged in light of all the withdrawals from the England squad to face Germany than Terry, having come under suspicion for his own absence from last month's internationals.

A back problem ensured he missed both World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus, only for him to return to action in a Chelsea shirt for their next League game just three days later.

The subsequent innuendo and criticism prompted the 28-year-old to launch a fierce defence of his patriotism after the club's Champions League game at home to Roma, however this is a player whose actions speak louder than words.

It seemed certain he would miss the friendly in Berlin due to the level of discomfort in his foot at the weekend, yet he was desperate to show his commitment to the cause.

He said: "On Saturday, I was thinking I had broken a bone in my foot, what with having the experience of doing it against Arsenal last year and knowing what the pain feels like.

"I was really worried that night because I was desperate to play for England, especially after missing the two games last month.

"We booked a scan for 8am in the morning, but I was woken up at 6.30am by my kids (he has two-year-old twins) and I decided to do my own fitness test with them in the garden while it was pouring down with rain.

"I went for a little jog and I was fine. I phoned the doctor and told him I didn't need the scan. I was thinking of going back to bed, but he told me to have it anyway just to make sure. I was delighted to get the all-clear afterwards."

All his leadership qualities will be needed in the Olympic Stadium, with most of the first team ruled out through various injuries.

Only keeper David James and Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry remain from those picked regularly in the starting line-up by coach Fabio Capello.

In Terry's eyes, their misfortune could be England's gain, with youngsters Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young set to earn their first and fourth caps respectively.

The absence of fellow senior internationals like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand has caused 28-year-old Terry to feel his age, but he is thrilled at the prospect of seeing fresh talent unleashed on the Germans.

He added: "It is great to see young players in the squad. They are making me feel old, but they bring an excitement.

"They have been getting the ball in training, trying to take it round two or three players and score a goal. Hopefully they will take that attitude out on the pitch tonight.

"They are fearless both on and off the pitch. We need that as well as experience. They can attack, defend and shoot. The likes of Agbonlahor and Young are exciting and get people out of their seats. It's a chance for them to prove themselves to the manager. We are missing a lot of big players, but the young guys can set themselves up for the future."

But the past is very much on Terry's mind, and not just because World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst travelled with the squad.

While Hurst obviously has fond memories of taking on the Germans, Terry is haunted by losing 2-1 to them in a friendly at Wembley 15 months ago.

His attempts to forget have not been helped by the fact that Germany captain Michael Ballack is also a member of the Chelsea team. While his club-mate maybe missing from the home side after just recovering from a foot injury of his own, Terry is desperate for revenge.

He said: "Ballack came into the Chelsea training ground gloating and that has stuck in my mind. I never want to be on the losing side and that is something I will stress before the game.

"The manager has stressed it since day one this week. He called the players together in training and said we may have had a few players pull out, but we are going there to win the game. The message was made clear."

Terry feels Chelsea rejects Glen Johnson, Scott Parker and Shaun Wright-Phillips have sent out a message of their own since leaving Stamford Bridge. The trio have worked their way back into the England fold having lost their place after spending most of their time in south west London on the bench.

He said: "I have stayed in touch with them and have enjoyed seeing them do well. Scott has done great at West Ham, Johnno at Portsmouth and Shaun at Manchester City.

"I was sad to see them go, but they have all benefited from playing regularly elsewhere."