Chelsea and England soccer captain John Terry pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to a charge of racially abusing opponent Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match in October.

Lawyer George Carter-Stephenson spoke on behalf of defender Terry, who did not attend the hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates Court.

In December, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ordered Terry to be prosecuted for a "racially aggravated public order offense" over comments allegedly made to Ferdinand in an on-field exchange during Chelsea's 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers.