FAILURE MAKES ME BOIL INSIDE

New Villa skipper John Terry on why anything less than the title will leave him ‘burning’

JOHN TERRY has told his new Aston Villa team-mates that “nothing less than winning the Championship is acceptable”.

Chelsea legend Terry has been handed the armband at Villa Park after arriving on a lucrative free transfer last month.

The veteran defender had Premier League offers from top-flight clubs likely to be battling the drop, such as West Brom, but he opted to drop into the Championship to chase more silverware.

Despite winning the Champions League, five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups and three League Cups, Terry admits he still “boils” at other missed opportunities. Now he wants to get Steve Bruce’s Villa back into the top flight after their relegation in 2016 before coming 13th last term in the Championship.

The 36-year-old said: “We have enough to go up, for sure. Should we be winning it? Yes.

“If not, what do you take from there? Nothing.

“Nothing else is really acceptable for me, as an individual, after what I have been around in previous years.

“Having had a taste of winning and then having seasons, over the years, when you don’t win, that burns unbelievably.

“When you play 38 games throughout the year and walk away with nothing after being the secondbest team or missing out by a few

points, even now that gets me. That makes me boil inside still – the opportunities I have missed out on over the years of not winning six or seven Premier Leagues or FA Cups.

“That is just my character, I want to win. You have either got it or you haven’t – and the ambition is very clear for me.

“I also think that, with the squad of players we already had here and the additions the manager has made, we have a big squad more than capable of going up.

“If we put things right on the pitch, there is no reason we shouldn’t go up.

“Clearly, we all want to be champions and want to go up, but, worst-case

This is just my character, I want to win, and the ambition is clear

scenario, if we go as runners-up, then I’m sure we would all take that as well.”

Terry will make his league debut for Villa this Saturday evening, at home to Hull, live on TV. The former England captain has already lifted some silverware during preseason after Villa won the Cup of Traditions in Germany.

He says he has fitted in well to life at the club following his departure from his beloved Blues after 22 years.

His biggest challenge so far was being racked with nerves before singing Stand By Me as his initiation song to the squad.

“I didn’t sleep for two nights, it was horrible,” admitted Terry prior to his initiation.

“But it is exciting to be here and important to get off to a good start. The club deserves to be in the Premier League.

“I have experienced pressure at the highest level, whether as England captain or Chelsea captain.

“I have been scrutinised, rightly or wrongly, over the years, but that comes with football nowadays.

“That doesn’t bother me at all. Clearly, I am not going to perform well every game. I know that, going into every season.

“But what I will give is everything and I am pretty sure – over the 46 games – there will be a lot more better games than not.”