John Terry has mapped out his desire to one day follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jose Mourinho, Thomas Tuchel and Frank Lampard and become Chelsea head coach.
The Blues legend, who is one of the club's most decorated players in its rich and colourful history, has ambitions to become a manager in the near future after watching and learning from Dean Smith at Aston Villa.
Terry is currently Smith's right-hand man in the Midlands and has helped the club achieve promotion to the Premier League and reach last season's Carabao Cup final since his retirement from his playing days.
But whilst the former Blues centre-back, who has admitted that he has turned down two jobs already to become a manager, is currently happy with his situation at Villa Park, he has made it clear that he wants to become his own man in the future, admitting that taking the reins at Stamford Bridge is the end goal.
"My ambition is very, very clear," Terry told The Times, as quoted by the Evening Standard. "There’s an end goal for me and that’s managing Chelsea Football Club.
"My team will be winning — hopefully — very honest, very organised, very well drilled, very well prepared and with a back-four.
"I look at Lamps [Frank Lampard] and Stevie [Gerrard] and the success they’ve both had. Lamps in his first season at Chelsea, and what Stevie’s done up at Rangers is unbelievable. l probably wasn’t ready to go into coaching then. I am now.
"But I’m not just going to jump into anything. I’ve turned down two jobs since I’ve been here.
"Decent-sized clubs. But it’s going to take something special for me to leave here. I’ve got one more year left at Villa. I’m in a privileged position because I’m in no rush. I want to be a No 1 but I’ll get there at some point."
Whilst Terry may have to be patient and cross a few hurdles before he gets the chance to step into the Stamford Bridge managerial hot seat, he has been closely linked with succeeding Mourinho at Tottenham. The north London club are yet to source a replacement for the Portuguese chief, despite showing him the exit door almost five weeks ago.
On Wednesday evening, following the conclusion of Spurs 2-1 defeat to Villa, Terry was the subject of some tongue-in-cheek chanting from the home supporters, who claimed that Ledley King, who is currently helping Ryan Mason with first-team duties at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, was a better defender than Terry.
The former Chelsea skipper could not help but respond by turning round and holding up an imaginary trophy, mocking Spurs' long wait to lay their hands on a piece of silverware.
Now, following that incident, Terry has admitted that the Spurs job is a role that he would never take on.
He added: “ I'd ever take it. Never. Spurs is the only one I wouldn’t take.
"I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be welcome at West Ham too."
