Journalist Luke Hatfield said John Terry’s departure will be a major blow for everyone associated with Aston Villa.
The former England captain’s Villa Park exit brings down his four-year affiliation with the Midlands outfit.
Following his release from Chelsea back in 2017, Terry dropped down to the Championship and signed for Villa, who were managed by Steve Bruce at the time.
Terry was named skipper and would make 32 Championship appearances as Villa qualified for the play-offs.
However, the centre-back didn’t enjoy the fairy tale ending that he would have hoped following a 1-0 defeat to Fulham in the play-off final.
And just three days after Terry announced his retirement from playing, he was confirmed as Dean Smith’s assistant for the first-team.
And Terry has played a key part in Villa’s rise from the Championship to becoming an established Premier League club once again before announcing he would depart ahead of the new campaign to pursue his dream of becoming a manager.
Hatfield told The Transfer Tavern:
“He’s been fantastic at Villa. He obviously joined as a player and then moved on and coached at the club and had an impact, so it will be a blow for the club and for Dean Smith.”