John Terry has signed for SkyBet Championship outfit Aston Villa after bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career at Chelsea FC this summer.
The 36-year-old found himself out of contract at Stamford Bridge after spending an incredible 22 years at the West London club.
The former England captain played a reduced role under Antonio Conte last season, starting just six matches of Chelsea's charge to the Premier League title.
And after a summer of speculation which also linked the player to moves abroad as well as Championship rivals Birmingham City, Terry has signed for the Villans on a one-year deal, understood to be worth around £70,000 per week — plus bonuses.
But things could have been so much different for the defender as he came close to signing for Huddersfield Town back in 2000.
Town, then under the management of Steve Bruce who he now joins at Villa Park, had agreed a deal for the teenager.
Terry was on loan at Nottingham Forest, however, and he played so well Chelsea had a change of heart and decided they didn’t want to sell.
The details were originally revealed in an interview between Terry and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher for the Daily Mail back in 2015.
The article appeared under the banner headline: City bid £29m but the closest I came to leaving was for . . . Huddersfield!
Carragher asks: “Do you look at your loan spell at Nottingham Forest in April 2000 with any regret? You played six games for someone else other than Chelsea. If it hadn’t been for those games, you could have been like a Maldini, Baresi, Giggs, Carragher! You know, one-club men.”
Terry laughed as he answered: “It’s a funny story actually. Chelsea wanted to sell me then. They had agreed a deal with Huddersfield.
“After my loan at Forest, I was supposed to go to Huddersfield. Steve Bruce was their manager. Gianluca Vialli was manager here and he knew David Platt at Forest.
“But I did well in those games. I started five and came on in the other. Chelsea wanted more money then decided they didn’t want to sell as I’d done well.
“I came back and got on the bench for the FA Cup final.”
Terry went on to say he’s never thought about leaving, even though Manchester City offered £29m in 2009. Chelsea refused the offer, and that was that....until today's move signalled the end of the icons playing affinity with the club.
