Chelsea legend, John Terry whose contract ended following the completion of the 2016-17 English Premier League season has joined second-tier club Aston Villa today. In a transfer that has certainly come as a surprise for most soccer fans and Chelsea supporters, the former Blues captain signed a one-year contract with the Birmingham-based club.
Into the sunset
Terry, who turned out for Chelsea in excess of 700 occasions and had also been the captain for the majority of his time at the club, had found it tough to get into the first eleven last season.
His contract with Chelsea had come to an end at the end of the season and in a statement, Terry had said that he intended to carry on playing as a professional soccer player. Although there had been speculation that he will join another Premier League club, Terry chose to join Aston Villa, a club with a rich history but very little success over the past decade.
Upon completing his transfer today, Terry praised the club and their supporters, before going on to say that their manager Steve Bruce was a big factor in his version. By Championship standards, Terry will be paid a handsome salary of around $78,000 per week (converted from £60,000) but Steve Bruce said that he is worth every 'penny' due to his stature as a player and the sort of experience he will bring to Villa's defensive line.
But why Villa?
John Terry was one of the best defenders in the world during his peak and has won all honors that there are to win in club football, which is why his move to troubled Aston Villa seems so odd. Premier League clubs like Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion were interested in signing him but according to Terry's statement today, he did not quite welcome the prospect of playing against Chelsea and hence chose a lower tier club.
He had been associated with the club for 22 years. Chelsea had, in fact, offered him the chance to work with the club in a non-playing capacity but Terry believes that he can still offer a lot as a footballer.
On the other hand, the Major League Soccer has been the final destination for plenty of former Premier League icons and even at the age of 36, Terry would definitely have found a lot of suitors.
However, it seems that his ambition is to stay in England and help Aston Villa with their target of getting back into the Premier League in his first season. Aston Villa's cross-town rivals Birmingham City had tried to sign him as well but the player chose to go with Steve Bruce's side.
