John Terry has said his managerial career is over before it began after being left confused by his failure to get a job.
Terry, 44, enjoyed a hugely impressive playing career for Chelsea and England, winning 17 trophies with the Blues, before he concluded his time in the game at Aston Villa.
After retiring, he joined the set up at Villa Park as Dean Smith’s No 2 and together the club got promoted to the Premier League and established themselves in the top flight.
Terry departed in the summer of 2021 and it was widely expected he would move into management, with the former defender linked to roles at several clubs, including Newcastle.
However, nothing materialised, and bar a short stint as Smith’s assistant at Leicester City and a role as a coaching consultant in Chelsea’s academy, Terry’s career in the dugout has never progressed.
And, speaking to The Sun, Terry revealed he had given up on becoming a manager.
John Terry has said he has given up on becoming a manager after growing frustrated
Terry, 44, spent just under three years as Aston Villa assistant boss under Dean Smith, while he has also held roles at Leicester City and within Chelsea’s academy
‘I’m done in terms of coaching,’ said the former defender, who was a manager in the inaugural edition of Baller League earlier this year.
‘I’m enjoying my life, I’m working in the Chelsea academy. My role’s a part-time role, I love working with the kids, I love passing on my knowledge and experience to those boys. I went for a couple of jobs and those days are gone for me.’
Terry’s experience is in contrast to several of his former England and Chelsea team-mates, including the likes of Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, who have secured multiple jobs in the game.
And the 44-year-old claimed his failure to get his own chance left him frustrated and bemused.
‘I absolutely wanted it,’ he added. ‘When I went into Villa I got great experience under Dean Smith and we got promotion, which was incredible.
‘As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I’ve had as a player and an individual captain in both Chelsea and England, I thought that would be enough to get me a job.
‘I’m not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship – but a job at League One level.’
Terry continued: ‘I didn’t even get a sniff. I had interviews and it was just “you have no experience”. When I see some people managing today, it baffles me, it really does.
Terry’s experience is in contrast to some of his former team-mates like Frank Lampard (C)
Smith had previously tipped the 44-year-old for a hugely successful managerial career
‘In terms of ‘am I frustrated’, yes, absolutely, because I have a lot of good attributes to be a really good coach or a really good manager but, unfortunately, that’s not happened.’
Terry’s experience working alongside Smith had previously seen him tipped for an impressive managerial career.
Speaking in 2019, Smith had hailed the impact of the 78-cap England international shortly after Villa were promoted to the Premier League.
‘He’s very important and I love working with him,’ Smith said. ‘He’s brought something different to our coaching set-up, with his knowledge, his experiences.
‘He’s lifted the Premier League title enough times, as well as the FA Cup and the League Cup. He was a serial winner for Chelsea, so he knows how to win things and that mentality can rub off on people.
‘I also feel he’s come into his own with us getting promoted into the Premier League. He’s getting better and better as a coach.
‘I’ve championed him for a long time, saying he will eventually be a top manager. At the moment he’s very keen to keep learning and making a major contribution to Aston Villa, certainly on the coaching pitches.’
Meanwhile, during the Baller League, Terry was in charge of the 26ers, but his side struggled and finished ninth out of 12 teams after winning just three of their 11 matches.
