Captain. Leader. Legend. John Terry is Chelsea and a return to coach in the academy would be a coup for the Blues for years to come.
John Terry was never Chelsea’s most talented player. But he never had to be. Through sheer force of will, he forced his way into the top of the world’s players. He did it from the time he was a kid to the time he eventually left Chelsea.
And he was not perfect by any means. Whether true or not, controversy followed Terry throughout his career off the pitch. Sometimes he admitted his fault and sometimes he fought against it. But he always made sure he learned from his mistakes on and off the pitch to prevent them from happening again.
Terry is a fighter the likes of which Chelsea does not have anymore. He is also a teacher who is well aware that experience has brought him to where he is today. So when he is linked to become Chelsea’s under 23 manager, it becomes clear that this would be a coup not only for Chelsea on the academy side but Chelsea as an institution.
It is best to take a step back for a second. Terry left Chelsea when it became clear he could no longer contribute frequently on the field. He felt like he had more in him, so he went to Aston Villa for a year. And though that year was successful, Villa’s failure to achieve promotion meant they could not financially hold on to Terry. Since then, the captain has been in the wilderness looking for a new club. Sporting CP and Spartak Moscow seemed likely at various points, but nothing panned out for either.
The youth manager role is just the latest rumor in a series of rumors. But it would make too much sense for Chelsea not to have at least brought it up the numerous times Terry has been with the academy recently. He has been back several times in recent months to work on his fitness and coaching badges. And while the road may end for the former, the latter can continue on.
Terry may not become a full blown manager right away like Frank Lampard did. But Jody Morris’ departure made Chelsea aware that they need to have a carrot on the end of the stick. Not only for youth managers, but for legends looking to get back into the game. That is where Terry comes in.
Terry would likely ere on the side of man management over tactics. After all, he is the player that took dozens of Chelsea players under his wing and groomed them into what it meant to wear the shirt. Even more, Terry made a point of watching the youth play and encouraging them afterward. As Morris would say, many Chelsea managers could not be bothered by the youth teams. But Terry made sure to always be there, either as a fan or a resource.
Terry’s return would be a coup. Not only would the Blues get their leader back, but they would also get a man that understands more than anyone what the shirt means and what one has to do to earn it. He can be the voice in Maurizio Sarri’s ear saying “yes, these kids are ready”.
Wherever Terry goes, success will follow if only because players will run through a brick wall for him (something he surely learned from Jose Mourinho MK I). It would be a coup for Chelsea to bring Terry back and the academy would reach a new level under the captain, leader, and legend.