John Terry hopes that Chelsea's League Cup win can begin a new era of winning trophies under Jose Mourinho, and wants a leading role with the club well beyond Sunday's Wembley win.
Chelsea's captain scored his team's first goal of their 2-0 defeat of Tottenham, winning the man-of-the-match award.
"I loved it, I loved playing here in a big final and on a personal level, it was nice to get my first goal in a major final," he said. "More importantly, it was important to get our first trophy together. I spoke in the week about this being a springboard, like it did when the manager came in in 2004-05. It had that effect then and hopefully it does now."
Terry captained Mourinho's team in the 2004-05 final, a 3-2 defeat of Liverpool in Cardiff, to begin a spell of four trophies in three years during the manager's previous spell in charge.
The 34-year-old missed both the Champions League final in 2012 and the Europa League final in 2013, through suspension and injury respectively, and said that Nemanja Matic, banned for his retaliation on Burnley's Ashley Barnes on February 21, had his sympathies. Matic delivered a pre-match pep talk to team-mates.
"I've been there, I've experienced it before, it's not nice but he said to the lads to go and win it, not for him but for us as a group collectively," said Terry.
Back in 2013, under manager Rafa Benitez, Terry was frequently rotated out, but under Mourinho has been nearly ever-present, starting each Premier League game this season.
"That wasn't through choice," he said in recalling Benitez's frequent omissions. "The manager's come in and sat me down and made it clear from the outset. If you work hard, you'll get extra years and you'll be in the side.
"If not, then players are fighting for their places. This is year roll-on, I am fighting for my future, for my family's future as well, and with that in mind, I just want to give it everything. I don't know how long I have got left but hopefully I have got a few years left in me. But if these are my last, I hope it will go out on a bang."
Terry said that Chelsea's policy of giving players over 30 only one-year contract extensions has served as a motivational tool.
"Not having the four or five years, the roles reverse, the power is in the club's hands," he said. "I think that's definitely inspired me to prove people wrong. As I say, I am fighting for me and my family, to prove people wrong, and it doesn't come much bigger than that."
The aim now is to win a new contract, and extend his Chelsea career beyond that. "I've kind of got my targets set on next year as well," said Terry. "That's my initial target. Two or three more years, I don't know."
Unlike Frank Lampard, who left Chelsea last summer, or Steven Gerrard, who is set to leave Liverpool this summer to play for LA Galaxy, Terry cannot see himself playing for anyone else.
"No, not for me," he said when asked. "Playing at the top, there's a right time to go but certainly at the moment I am feeling great. It would be the wrong time to go for me. I think there does come a point in your career where you have to say it's time to go, it's time to move on, and people remember you that way."
Now Chelsea's focus switches to West Ham on Wednesday, and the chance to stay ahead of Manchester City, who lost 2-1 at Liverpool ahead of the Wembley showpiece. Chelsea lead by five points, holding a game in hand on last season's champions.
"Not many of the lads knew about the result [at Anfield]," said Terry. "I think the manager wanted to keep it from us but we are delighted to see City lose points. It's important now we go again on Wednesday with another tough one, a derby where we need to pick up three points.
"It's no celebrations, no nothing, back to work tomorrow and kick on for Wednesday."
