Chelsea legend John Terry has been linked with a stunning return to football in his first managerial role.
After a spectacular career lasting two decades, Terry hung up the boots and retired after losing the 2018 Championship play-off final with Aston Villa.
The defender spent nearly all of his career with Chelsea, making 492 appearances for the London club and leading them to 15 trophies including the Champions League and five Premier League titles.
Since then, Terry has mostly enjoyed some time away from football, working in Chelsea's academy sometimes working as a pundit.
Advert
But now, it appears that the Chelsea could be set to make a spectacular return to the pitch as he's been linked with what would be his first professional managerial position.
Last year, Terry was one of the first names announced as a manger in the newly-formed Baller League, leading the 26ers.
In their first season, the 26ers finished ninth in the 12 team league and currently sit fifth in their second season, just one point behind a spot in the top four which would grant them a place in the play-offs.
And it appears that his work in the Baller League may have prompted Terry to finally make the jump to manage in the English football pyramid, as a report from The Sun has claimed Terry could soon join championship side Oxford United.
Terry has long made it clear that he wanted to follow former Three Lions team-mates like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney in management, but was waiting for an opportunity to arise.
Oxford United could be the perfect chance for him to make his start as he has remained a top candidate for the job having interviewed for The U's post in November 2023 before previous full-time manager Des Buckingham was given the job
Buckingham's replacement Gary Rowett has since been sacked following a dreadful run of just one win in 10 games, leading the club management to consider going back to Terry for the job.
Doing so with the club sitting just above the Championship relegation zone, level with Portsmouth in 22nd and just one point ahead of Norwich in 23rd, would no doubt raise questions giving Terry's experience.
But Terry isn't the 45-year-old isn't the only one being linked with the job as former Rangers and QPR manager Michael Beale is the favourite to get the Oxford United job.
It comes just months after Terry himself admitted that he was surprised he didn't yet have a job managing in England.
"As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I've had as a player and an individual captain in both Chelsea and England, I thought that would be enough to get me a job," he told The Sun in August.
"I'm not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship - but a job at League One level.
"I didn't even get a sniff. I had interviews and it was just "you have no experience". When I see some people managing today, it baffles me, it really does."
Topics: John Terry, Chelsea, Football
Ben McCrum