John Terry fears he’ll never get Frank Lampard opportunity – ‘It’s my one last dream’

John Terry enjoyed a hugely successful career at Chelsea and dreamt of one day becoming their manager – but is yet to get a top job in management since retiring

John Terry admits he still harbours the dream of becoming Chelsea manager but conceded he’s “not sure it will ever happen” and has questioned why no opportunity has ever come his way.

The former defender enjoyed a trophy-laden career as a player, winning the Premier League on four occasions with the Blues. He also claimed the Champions League and the FA Cup on multiple occasions.

Terry was part of a ‘Golden Generation’ of England players, many of whom have turned their hand to management with their playing exploits opening doors for them. Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney have had stints in the dugout, as has Terry’s former team-mate Frank Lampard.

He’s now leading Coventry, who are top of the Championship, but he was appointed by Chelsea after just a year in management with Derby. Terry attempted to get his experience – spending three years as assistant at Aston Villa from 2018 to 2021. He then worked as in a coaching consultancy role at Chelsea before a stint at Leicester City.

He’s at Chelsea as an academy coach but is having to accept the top job may never come his way. He said in a TikTok video: “I’m not sure it ever happens, to be honest. It’s my one last dream I have at the football club. I’ve done everything at Chelsea. And for me now, the one thing that is missing is being the manager of the football club.

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“That’s why I went into coaching when I finished playing. My idea and dream was to learn my trade a bit. As a player, you retire after 22 years… Listen, 100 per cent, you learn enough to go into management. The level I played at and the managers I played under. But it doesn’t give you the right you go into management at a certain level. You still have to learn and understand what it takes.

“There’s a lot more that goes into the coaching side of it. So I went away and learnt my trade, I had some unbelievable times at Villa, I left Villa to be a number one, I thought I was ready. I think I’d be a really good number one, I enjoyed the coaching side of it.

“I want people around me that are better coaches than me. Then I could lead the dressing room and the team like I did [as a player]. That’s what I did for 22 years at the club. I know I’d be good at it. Will I ever get the chance? I’m not sure, without doing the other bits. But when people tell you you’ve not got the experience, it’s difficult to fathom.”

Chelsea have been through a number of managers in recent years – adopting different strategies. They had big names like Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino but then turned to Graham Potter, a man who had maximised his resources at Brighton. Current boss Enzo Maresca was hired off the back of winning the Championship title with Leicester.

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