Villa new boy turned down Prem offers

PREMIER League rivals Albion and Swansea were keen to keep John Terry in the top flight but he was uneasy about representing one of Chelsea’s rivals so soon after bidding Stamford Bridge farewell.

“Playing against Chelsea just doesn’t sit right with me, to be honest,” he said. “Whether that’s different in a year’s time, I don’t know. The raw emotion of leaving the club after so long there...(playing against them) just didn’t sit right with me.

“I had a lot of big financial offers to play in the Premier League and still play at the top, but once I took that decision out of it – that I wasn’t playing in the Premier League – this was an easy one for me.

“It wasn’t a financial decision, if that was the case I certainly wouldn’t be here.

“I could have played in the Premier League – I had offers from other Premier League clubs, with a lot more money – or on other continents.

“I’m here because the hunger and the ambition is the exact same as mine, and that’s to win this league and get back to the Premier League.”

Terry will leave it to Steve Bruce to decide whether he takes the captain’s armband off James Chester.

Terry captained club and country during his illustrious career at Stamford Bridge but is relaxed about whether he will get to skipper Villa.

“It’s not been discussed,’’ he said. “I’ve not come here as a player with any demands. It’s a football decision.

“If Steve decides that in a week or two weeks’ time that will be his prerogrative. I know James has done a great job last year. Steve and the football club will make those decisions.”

Chester was given the armband early in Bruce’s reign last year, replacing previous captain Tommy Elphick.

A contract that is largely incentive-based has been propped up by Bruce’s willingness to assist Terry on his coaching path, while avoiding a Chelsea reunion was also a big factor in the player’s decision.