Ex-Chelsea ace tipped to be ‘next John Terry’ who retired at 21 before suffering heart attack now starring in non-league

SAM HUTCHINSON was once tipped to be the next John Terry, before retiring from football at just 21. The former Chelsea star has since battled serious injuries, depression and a heart attack but at 37 he is still doing what he loves. Sam Hutchinson travelled with the Chelsea team that won the Champions League in 2012 but what would follow in his career was incredible Credit: Getty He was known around Cobham as the next John Terry but it wasnt to be for him Credit: Getty Hutchinson is now starring for non-league Farnham Town after signing a two-year deal with the club this summer. His remarkable journey has seen him play under Chelsea bosses Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, line up alongside Frank Lampard and travel with the Blues’ squad for their historic Champions League triumph in 2012. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! But his career could have ended before it had properly begun. Hutchinson joined Chelsea as a seven-year-old and made his first-team debut under Mourinho aged just 17, with the Portuguese boss identifying him as a huge prospect. He was also an England Under-19 captain and looked destined for a big future before a devastating knee injury changed everything. After suffering a serious injury during a reserve game against Aston Villa, Hutchinson was diagnosed with a chondral defect, a hole in the cartilage of his right knee. The problem became so bad that he made the heartbreaking decision to retire from football in 2010, aged just 21. The decision plunged the youngster into a dark period, with Hutchinson later seeking professional help for depression. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS He eventually received treatment at the Priory and, after his knee was finally repaired, made a stunning return to football by re-signing for Chelsea in December 2011. Further injuries followed and he made just six senior appearances for the Blues, but Hutchinson refused to let his setbacks define his career. He went on to make more than 200 Championship appearances, most notably for Sheffield Wednesday, while also enjoying spells with Nottingham Forest, Reading, AFC Wimbledon, Vitesse Arnhem and Pafos. Then came another huge health scare. While playing for AFC Wimbledon against Grimsby in May 2025, Hutchinson scored the goal that helped send the Dons into the play-offs – despite feeling increasingly unwell. He had suffered chest pain, dizziness and sweating during the game, but carried on and finished the match. On the journey home, his condition deteriorated so badly that the team coach was diverted to hospital in Nottingham. Hutchinson was quickly transferred to a cardiac unit and was told he had suffered a heart attack, with a 75 per cent blockage found in a branch of an artery. The former Chelsea man had to undergo heart surgery Credit: Getty He played for a host of Championship clubs including Sheffield Wednesday Credit: Getty He spent five days in hospital before undergoing successful heart surgery, with a stent inserted to clear the blockage. Despite everything he had been through, Hutchinson was back playing again and later joined Farnham Town after leaving AFC Wimbledon at the end of the 2025-26 season. The move has seen him swap the Championship and Premier League spotlight for non-league football, but the veteran insists he is loving life. He told the BBC: “I’m loving it. Part-time football suits me after all that I’ve been through with my health.” Hutchinson still undergoes regular tests and has been told he will need further heart surgery when he eventually stops playing, but specialists are currently happy for him to continue. Now he is helping Farnham enjoy their first season in the National League South after three straight promotions, with the club’s rise attracting huge attention in the Surrey town. And despite the twists and turns of his career, Hutchinson remains grateful for the journey, including his Chelsea years. He added: “They brought me up and gave me values. I look back at the club fondly and what they did for me.” Sixteen years after his career appeared to be over, Hutchinson is still on the pitch – proving that his football story was far from finished. Comment now