John Terry insists he remains several years away from becoming a manager in his own right.
The 37-year-old has recently taken his first coaching role at former club Aston Villa, where he is assistant manager to Dean Smith.
Former team mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have both taken their first steps into management this season, at Derby and Rangers respectively, but Terry is happy taking his time to learn exactly what the job entails while he develops his own ideas about how he would want his teams to play.
“I have aspirations to be a manager one day but that is in four or five years – I’m nowhere near the finished article,” Terry said in an interview with the BBC.
“Even my first day was a real eye-opener for me – as a player you don’t realise the depth and the amount of work that goes on.
“You turn up as a player and get on with the session. Yesterday we were going through it for an hour beforehand, and then another hour and a half afterwards.”
Terry, who spent the final season of his illustrious playing career at Villa, worked under the likes of Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti and Fabio Capello for club and country.
Each manager had their own way of doing things and own style of play and Terry will have learned things from each of them.
Asked what his own philosophy will be when he goes into management, Terry replied: “Firstly, I love to watch teams that win.
“I am still building my ideas and my philosophy. I have learned over the years from many great managers – I am a sponge and I am keen to learn from him [Smith] and [assistant] Richard O’Kelly.
“Look at Brentford’s style of play. Take Wolves and Fulham away and Brentford were probably the best footballing side in the league last season.
“The gaffer has a real identity. I will be there and keen to follow and assist as and when I can.”
