Aston Villa would not stop John Terry from taking over from Phillip Cocu at Derby County if he is offered a route into management by the Championship strugglers, according to the Mail.
With the Rams bottom of the table and closer to League One than they are to the Premier League right now, Derby have taken the old ‘sack the manager during the international break’ approach as they look to turn things around before it’s too late.
Former Barcelona star and PSV Eindhoven boss Cocu paid the price for a dismal start to 2020/21 on Saturday.
A classy operator on and off the pitch, the Dutchman was a respected figure among the Derby fans. But a series of dreadful results, plus a galling inability to put the ball in the back of the net, meant the goodwill quickly ran out.
But it is not a given that player-coach Wayne Rooney will immediately step into the void, despite taking over Cocu’s duties on an interim basis.
Prospective new owner Sheikh Khaled will have his own ideas and, according to the Mail, another former England captain is rivalling one-time international teammate Rooney for the top job at Pride Park.
39-year-old Terry has made no secret of his desire to step into management, like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
With two years as Dean Smith’s assistant at Aston Villa under his belt, the Chelsea legend has more coaching experience on his CV than Rooney.
The Mail adds that Aston Villa will not stand in Terry’s way either if Derby offer him his big break in management.
But, with one win in 11 games and 13 points adrift of the play-offs, Derby would not represent an easy start to Terry’s managerial career.
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