John Terry set to become owner of English club as details of big-money takeover emerge
Former Chelsea and England defender John Terry is reportedly close to announcing a lucrative deal to take over a League Two club.
Terry, 45, is best known for his time with Chelsea, having made 717 appearances for the Stamford Bridge club between 1998 and 2017 — a period during which he helped the west Londoners win 15 major trophies, including five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the UEFA Champions League in 2012.
Since retiring from playing in 2018, the former England captain has embarked on a career in coaching, acting as assistant head coach to Dean Smith at Aston Villa between 2018 and 2021.
He linked up with Smith again at Leicester City in 2023 before returning to Chelsea, this time as an academy coach, later that year.
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Now, almost three years into his stint as a youth coach at Chelsea, Terry could soon have “significant influence” over League Two side Colchester United.
Terry is set to announce a £14 million deal for Colchester alongside a consortium, according to The Sun.
“JT is really excited for it to become official,” a source told the outlet.
“This has been a long time in the making, and JT is really excited for it all to become official.
“He’s a hugely passionate advocate of lower-league football and helping clubs get the support and publicity they deserve.
“He really believes in the boys and, for their part, the lads at Colchester are absolutely buzzing that he’s getting involved.
“He will bring real stardust. Everyone involved with Colchester is excited, and the hope is this deal will really put them on the map as they push for promotion.”
From Pato to Terry
In January, reports from the Colchester Gazette claimed that former Chelsea, AC Milan and Brazil forward Alexandre Pato had held discussions about investing in the club. However, the consortium he was part of pulled out the following month.
The Essex side currently sit 13th in English football’s fourth tier ahead of their home match against Accrington Stanley at the JobServe Community Stadium tomorrow.
The U’s have not won a trophy since 1992, when they secured the FA Trophy with a 3–1 win over Witton Albion at Wembley Stadium.
If Terry were to complete the takeover, he would join a list of high-profile EFL club owners, with North American actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac investing in now-Championship side Wrexham when they were in the National League, while rapper Snoop Dogg is a minority owner of fellow Welsh side Swansea City.
Topics: John Terry
Luke Davies