Aston Villa are currently in third place in the Championship standings and four points adrift of second-placed Cardiff City. Should the Villains win promotion, one question which will be on everyone’s mind is whether captain John Terry will stay with the team or retire from the game. The 37-year-old Terry joined Villa last summer after ending his spell with Chelsea during which he established himself as a legend at Stamford Bridge.
It is still uncertain as to whether Steve Bruce’s men will gain promotion to the Premier League next season. However, they are in line to play in the promotion playoffs.
Terry reportedly had offers from Premier League clubs and admitted that he was close to joining Swansea. However, in the end, he opted to play for Villa in the Championship this season as it would avoid the possibility of him clashing against Chelsea.
He has indicated that he wishes to re-join Chelsea in a coaching capacity when his career ends. Terry also recently indicated that he is delaying whether to extend his career by a further year and is concentrating on helping Villa win promotion this season. Terry and Villa have a mutual option to extend his £60 000 a week deal till the end of the season.
Should Aston Villa win promotion, Terry should stay at the club; he owes it to the fans. Though he may be past his peak, he has led the club admirably this season, and his knowledge and dynamism could help Villa next season if they do win promotion. If Villa win promotion next season, they will need all the experience that they can get to succeed especially considering that newly promoted teams in the Premier League generally struggle to avoid relegation.
John Terry has also proven that despite being towards the latter end of his career, he is still able to churn out competitive displays at the highest level and has been one of the best defenders in the Championship this season, forming a solid partnership with James Chester in defence for the Villains. It will be rather abrupt if Villa win promotion and Terry retires at the same time.
It will also be fitting that Terry ends his career playing at the highest level in the Premier League after all this is the league in which he established himself as an English football legend. If Villa do win promotion, Terry will face to face the prospect of having to play against his boyhood club Chelsea, however the professional thing to do if that situation is to sign a one-year extension with the club. They provided him with a lifeline after his time with Chelsea came to an end, and it is only fair that he offers Villa his services for a further year when it will be of paramount importance to them.
Villa are not putting any pressure on the former England national team and Chelsea captain to make a decision, and that is likely to come during the summer.