John Terry set to return to Chelsea in coaching role

Terry is set to make a return to Stamford Bridge for the first time in five years

John Terry is set to make a return to Chelsea in a coaching capacity as he takes up a new role within his former club's academy setup. The Athletic has reported that the former Blues and England captain will help with the development of the club's youngsters at Cobham - despite being linked with a number of managerial roles at both Premier League and EFL level. While Terry is thought to have been keen on taking a management role, the 41-year-old is reportedly willing to bide his time to find the right role. Terry is reportedly looking to move into a job where he will receive significant financial backing to help create a long-term project. The former Chelsea man had previously been working at Aston Villa as a member of the coaching staff as an assistant manager for three years before he left in the summer to pursue his long-term goals of becoming a manager. The Athletic reported that his close relationships with former teammates Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini as well as academy director Neil Bath played a contributing factor in helping to bring Terry back to the club, but he will not be helping out with the first team squad. Chelsea travel to the West Midlands to face Aston Villa on Boxing Day where the hosts will be without manager Steven Gerrard after the former Rangers boss tested positive for Covid-19 on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has backed calls from Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick to reintroduce the five substitutions rule in order to help squads battle the rising rates of covid infections. Related links:

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