Frank Lampard predicts former Chelsea teammate John Terry will succeed as a coach and manager, if that proves to be his next career move.
Terry announced his retirement from playing on Sunday at the age of 37, having won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League, mostly alongside Lampard as Chelsea’s most influential figure.
The 40-year-old Lampard spent his prime years as vice-captain to Terry at Stamford Bridge and alongside him in the England team, and Press Association Sport understands that the Derby manager could soon be coming up against his long-term teammate in a Championship dugout.
Terry is in contention to join Aston Villa as a coach regardless of whether or not they appoint Thierry Henry as their new manager, and Lampard told Press Association Sport: “He always seemed like he was going to be a coach or a manager, and he has all of the attributes. He’s a leader, he studies the game, and I think and hope he’ll do well.
“He has obvious attributes in leading people around him. That’s what a manager needs to do — he did it in the dressing room.
“It changes slightly when you become a manager but you still have to have those attributes where you can push people on, drive, encourage, lay down the rules on how to perform to get the best out of yourself as a group. If he carries that on to management then I think he’ll be a success.
“(Terry’s playing career) was truly great, whatever way you look at it. John’s titles, medals, personal achievements are absolutely up there in terms of world football, in terms of an English career in the Premier League era.”
In addition to Lampard, the successful Chelsea team Terry thrived in and led also had, among others, the decorated figures of Michael Ballack, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Ashley Cole — each significant for their national teams and at other clubs.
He was also appointed England captain when Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Lampard were considered alternatives, and the latter — who was being honoured at a Legends of Football charity event in aid of Nordoff Robbins — said: “We had a strong squad with a lot of big personalities. But John was always the captain, always the leader.
“(In management) you need someone to follow, for people to come into the club to understand what the club means, how you need to train, how you need to behave.”