Former Chelsea and Aston Villa player John Terry discussed his interview for the Sunderland manager position following Lee Johnson’s dismissal in 2022. Terry disclosed that he had interviewed for the Sunderland job shortly after Johnson’s departure two years ago.
However, Sunderland eventually appointed Alex Neil in February 2022, and went on to secure promotion back to the Championship through the play-offs. Following his playing stint at Aston Villa, Terry served as Dean Smith’s assistant at Villa Park for three years after retiring as a player in 2018. Terry also mentioned that he had interviewed for the Newcastle job after leaving Villa but felt he wasn’t prepared for such a role at that time.
Reflecting on his interview with Sunderland, Terry shared with Up Front with Simon Jordan: “After that, I had a very positive interview with Sunderland. They had just dismissed Lee Johnson, and they were in third place in League One at the time. I spent around two weeks analyzing games, studying the team and the players, and I felt confident about it.”
“I had a productive meeting and left feeling optimistic about my chances. I had a good rapport with the sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, and the feedback I received was that the interview went well, but they felt I lacked experience. It was a similar situation with another opportunity, where lack of experience was the issue.”
Terry admitted that he wasn’t initially keen on managing in League One but believed Sunderland had the potential to achieve promotion that season. He felt that the opportunity slipped away, which could have led to an immediate promotion and further opportunities in his managerial career.
Now, Terry expressed some frustration about not receiving offers for managerial positions. While he’s open to opportunities, he prefers potential suitors to approach him rather than actively seeking out roles.
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