John Terry
Aston Villa has announced assistant manager John Terry has left the club after three years on Dean Smith’s coaching team.
The Chelsea legend revealed he made the decision due to his desire to be a manager himself in the future, and so will travel Europe to visit various clubs as he looks to move into management.
Terry, 40, has been linked with several clubs in the past, having made no secret of his desire to make the next step. Despite him saying he will now take some time out learning across the continent, bookmakers have already placed manager-less Swansea as the odds-on favourites for his first job in management.
Terry explained his thinking behind the decision to quit Villa, just two weeks before the new season gets underway.
“It has been a tremendous honour and privilege to have spent these last three years at Aston Villa, but I feel now is the right time to make the extremely difficult decision to move on.
“I want to be as respectful to the manager and everyone at Aston Villa as I can and, having given my future serious consideration over the summer, I genuinely don’t feel it is fair to move into a new season without being certain of seeing that through.
“My immediate plan is to spend some quality time with my family and, thereafter, hopefully take up some invitations to visit clubs and managers around Europe to develop my aim and objective of becoming a manager.
“It has always been my ambition to move into football management and, providing the right opportunity presents itself, I feel ready to take up such a challenge,” Terry said.