JT’S RAISED OUR GAME
Villa squad the best around
JOHN TERRY’S arrival has given Aston Villa the best squad in the Championship, according to James Chester.
The Chelsea legend, 36, was one of five summer signings to make their debuts, with ex-Tiger Ahmed Elmohamady, Glenn Whelan and subs Chris Samba and Josh Onomah also making their Villa bows. And team-mate Chester reckons Terry’s arrival has transformed Steve Bruce’s squad into the finest in the second tier. “The squad is probably the best in the league and we’re all very confident we can achieve what we want, which is to get promoted,” Yp K@D E8J? said the 28-year-old. Chester insists fellow defender Terry’s influence will make the difference after last season’s limp 13th-placed finish.
“It’s that winning mentality and the demands he asks for every day – you can see why he’s been at a top club for so long,” added the former Hull star.
Gabby Agbonlahor gave Villa a flying start after seven minutes and they missed chances to go further ahead.
But Hull hit back and deserved Jarrod Bowen’s 62nd-minute equaliser. It was Bowen’s first League goal and the 20-year-old said: “Sharing a pitch with John Terry was like a dream come true. It didn’t seem real.
“It was my mum’s birthday and she was in the Hull end. I grew up in Hereford, so Villa is quite local.
“My dad’s a Villa fan, so a draw with me scoring was probably his best outcome. He said he was going to run on the pitch if I scored and I grabbed him.
“My sister, brother, cousins, nan and auntie were all there. I think they got a minibus with my grandad driving.”
Bruce signed Bowen for Hull for £50,000 in 2014 and the Villa chief added: “He was a boy playing men’s football when we signed him. He was excellent on Saturday.”
Hull’s Russian boss Leonid Slutsky enjoyed a tough baptism to English football.
He said: “After those first 15 minutes, I thought, ‘Maybe this league is more strong than I realised’. But after that, it was 50-50.”