'I've played under John Terry - there are three reasons why he'd be a perfect Chelsea manager'

View 2 Images

Chelsea legend John Terry might not be looking at a move into senior management just yet but he’d still make a great Blues boss. That’s according to one of the players who knows exactly what it’s like to be managed by the former England international.

Terry has clarified this season that a move into the dugout isn’t on his radar, playing down links with Oxford United . He has been passed over for EFL jobs but still been having plenty of fun working with Chelsea’s academy.

Alongside that, he is managing in Baller League , a hybrid competition involving former Premier League and EFL stars as well as YouTubers and influencers. He is in charge of the 26ers, whose top scorer Bilal Sayoud - himself a lifelong Chelsea fan - has no doubts about Terry’s qualities.

“I think it's no secret that one of his dreams is to manage Chelsea,” Sayoud exclusively told Mirror Football after the 26ers fell agonisingly short of Sunday’s end-of-season ‘final four’ play-offs. “If you're asking me as a Chelsea fan... maybe he's perfect for what Chelsea needs right now, to unite the fan base and the club.

“Because there's a bit of a disconnect and I know [uniting the fans and club is] something that he would take immense pride and joy in. But for whatever reason, he's never been linked with any sort of managerial job.

“And it's not like he doesn't have the qualifications or the experience. He ran a winning changing room for 20 years. That's got to count for something.

“After a game, he doesn't even want to see anyone in the changing room, doesn't sleep after games. It's like he lives it through us,”

“He's still got that competitive edge. I know it's going to affect him, us not making top four, but I think we had such a good season and just to fall at the final hurdle was a bit of a shame but we've definitely [put] the league on notice for next season.”

View 2 Images

Chelsea have already changed managers this season, with Enzo Maresca replaced by Liam Rosenior. Sayoud admits he doesn’t know a great deal about the former Strasbourg boss but he still has strong feelings about what’s needed at Stamford Bridge.

He added: “The main thing is, forget the manager and the ownership and all that, the fan base needs to be connected with the club again. Is [Rosenior] the right man? It remains to be seen [but] I thought Maresca was doing a good job.

“Obviously things are happening internally that we don't know about but that's the main thing for Chelsea at the moment. And it's hard to see, especially where we were probably five, ten years ago.”

Baller League: Final Four will air live for Free from 3pm on Sunday 11th January at www.youtube.com/@BallerLeagueUK

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.