Chelsea will be looking to avoid three defeats on the bounce in the Premier League when they take on Aston Villa tonight.
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has shared that John Terry is ‘excited’ about returning to Chelsea for the first time as an opposition.
Two seasons ago, Terry left Chelsea on a free transfer and joined the then-Championship side, Villa, but he was unable to guide the club to promotion as they lost the 2018 play-off final to Fulham.
He then retired, and in October 2018, he joined Smith’s coaching staff at Villa, and many months later, he played his part in the Midlands giants making a return to the Premier League.
Speaking to AVTV, Villa boss Smith shared his thoughts on Terry returning to the club where he made himself a legend, as he stated that it will be an emotional night for the former defender.
“He’ll be excited about it,” Smith told AVTV. “He always said that he would never go back and play against them. I am certainly not going to pick him.
“He’ll be excited and I am sure he will get an unbelievable reception after the playing career he has had at that football club and the ties he has had at that football club.
“He’ll be looking forward to going back. I am pretty sure it’ll be a little bit different for him. His mind has been solely focused on helping myself, Richard and Neil Cutler on coach the team ready to try and beat the team and club that he loves. Going back there will be special for him.”
This isn’t the first time Frank Lampard has come up against Villa because he was beaten by them on three occasions last season when he was Derby County manager.
Two of those games came during the regular Championship season when Villa won 3-0 away from home and then later on 4-0 on home soil.
But the big showpiece event came in May when Villa beat Lampard’s Derby in the Championship play-off final to end the clubs three-year stay away from the promised land.
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