Sunderland legend Micky Gray thinks John Terry is vital to Aston Villa if they want to get promoted back to the Premier League this season.
Aston Villa captain John Terry during the Sky Bet Championship match against Burton Albion.
John Terry will be vital if Aston Villa are to make a serious push for promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League this season.
That is according to Sunderland legend Micky Gray, who was speaking after Terry helped Villa to a 1-0 league victory at Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Former Sunderland defender Michael Gray and now Radio pundit, looks on before the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City.
When asked on Channel 5’s Championship programme if the defender was key to going up, the pundit answered: “Without a shadow of a doubt
“When you’ve got experience like John Terry’s got, you need him playing on a regular basis. They’ve got to wrap him up in cotton wool and then put him out on the field on match days because that experience will help the players around him.
“He’s got that organisation and he’s vocal. When you’ve got somebody like him and the respect he earns from his teammates it gives you that chance of climbing up the table.
“They’re in the playoffs right now and if Steve Bruce can get them on a great little run there’s no reason they can’t finish in the top two spots, because they’re a really good side.”
Aston Villa captain John Terry in action during the Sky Bet Championship match against Middlesbrough.
Before the win at Forest, Terry had missed the last ten league matches due to injury, although in his absence Bruce’s side still managed to win five, draw three and lose only two.
The Villans are now fourth in the table and five points off Derby County in second place and the automatic promotion spots back to the top flight.
It seems that Gray believes that if they are to make up that gap on the top two then keeping Terry fit for the rest of the season will be crucial.
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