Aston Villa former captain in line to succeed Gary Rowett as Oxford United next manager
Aston Villa fans could see former captain John Terry hired as a manager for the first time in the near future.
Terry captained the Villans in the final season of his playing career in the 2017-18 campaign, after spending the majority of his time at Chelsea.
He also coached at Villa Park as part of Dean Smith’s staff, but has yet to take the step into the dugout on his own.
That could be about to change as he has been linked with the vacancy at Oxford United, with several reports naming him as a contender.
How likely is Terry to be hired at Oxford United?
The Championship club sacked Gary Rowett on 23 December, and are moving quickly to secure his replacement.
Terry is among the candidates for the post, despite his inexperience when it comes to top-level management.
Terry is 8/1 to take over at the Kassam Stadium with the oddsmakers, below the likes of Michael Beale (13/8), Tony Mowbray (11/4) and Russell Martin(6/1) in the running.
Former Villa boss Steve Bruce is another name that is in the betting, but he is an extremely unlikely selection, given his 33/1 odds.
That suggests that he has an outside chance, rather than being a bona fide contender for his first role as a manager.
What has Terry said about his time at Aston Villa?
Terry is surprised that his time as assistant manager under Smith has not earned him the chance to manage a club in the English pyramid.
He is realistic with his expectations, as he does not believe that he has enough experience to be hired by a Premier League or Championship club.
He said: “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.
“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.
“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.”
His frustration may end shortly if the U’s decide to take a chance on him, although the bookmakers clearly feel like it is a long shot at the moment.
His brilliant playing career will likely secure him a role one day, but whether it is this one remains to be seen.
Villans supporters will likely wish him well, given his contributions for the B6 club, in his short spell in the West Midlands.
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