John Terry: Chelsea confirm club legend to return to Stamford Bridge in part-time youth coaching role

Chelsea have confirmed John Terry is returning to Stamford Bridge in a youth coaching role.

Terry has been out of work since leaving Aston Villa in the summer and will begin a part-time consultancy role in the Chelsea academy in January.

A Chelsea legend who made 717 appearances and won 17 major trophies for the Blues, will return to Stamford Bridge five years after leaving in 2017.

Terry has registered an interest in various managerial vacancies since leaving Villa but knows it will be difficult to land a Premier League job at this stage of his career.

Chelsea said in a statement said: “John Terry is returning to Cobham to begin a coaching consultancy role at the Chelsea Academy.

“The Blues legend will work with our young players and coaching staff in our youth development programme, sharing the vast experience gained from his 20-year playing career and recent spell as assistant coach at Aston Villa.

“As well as delivering on-field coaching, our former club captain will contribute to coaching discussions with colleagues, mentor Academy players and support parent dialogue. He will begin the role in a part-time capacity at the start of next month.

“This flexibility is beneficial for both John and the academy, as it allows him to continue to develop his own coaching skills alongside other commitments, while being used optimally within our development programme.”

Head of youth development Neil Bath said: “We are delighted to be welcoming John back to Cobham in a role that will involve coaching and mentoring the next generation of young players in our Academy.

“It goes without saying that John’s experience in the game, both as a world-class player and more recently as an assistant coach in the Premier League, will be invaluable for everyone in the building.

“He will be a great mentor for our players and a fantastic asset to our coaching staff. We can’t wait for him to get started.”