Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has stressed that John Terry is trying to set the high standards he was used to at Chelsea, behind the scenes at Villa Park.
Terry spent the last season of his professional career at Aston Villa before becoming the assistant to Smith at Villa Park.
The former Chelsea defender played a key role behind the scenes to help Aston Villa earn promotion to the Premier League last season and has continued to be an integral part of Smith’s staff.
The Aston Villa manager is delighted with the work Terry has been carrying out and believes he has only got better and more confident in his coaching with more time on the training pitch.
“Well, he keeps telling me that he’s enjoying learning from us so I’ve got to take his word for that”, Smith told The Athletic.
“He’s got better at what he does and is enjoying his work at the football club.
“When he first came in, he looked at me and Richard [O’Kelly] for advice, but now he will just go and take players aside [for individual work] if he feels it’s necessary.”
Terry won five Premier League titles and a Champions League as a player at Chelsea.
Smith admits that the former defender is trying to instil the same high standards behind the scenes at Aston Villa as he looks to increase the level of the players he is working with.
“He’s just a really good person as well as a good coach”, the Villa boss added.
“He’s been used to high standards at Chelsea.
“He pushes through those high standards at the football club whether it be on the training ground or off it and he’s enjoying his time here.”
It remains to be seen if in the future Terry might return to Chelsea in a coaching capacity.
