Terry delighted at joining Villa

LONDON: Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has joined Championship side Aston Villa on a one-year deal, the club confirmed on its website yesterday.

“I am delighted to join Aston Villa,” Terry told the Villa website. “It’s a club I have admired from afar for many years. There are fantastic facilities at Bodymoor Heath, Villa Park is one of the finest stadiums in the country, and there’s a good group of players here, with an experienced and successful manager in Steve Bruce.

“I can’t wait to get started now and look to help the squad achieve something special this season.”

Terry became a free agent at the weekend after 22 years at Stamford Bridge where he played his entire career in the Premier League.But, despite interest from West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Bournemouth, he has been persuaded to drop down to England’s second tier by Villa manager Bruce.

Villa were relegated from the Premier League in 2016 and failed to gain instant promotion finishing a disappointing 13th last season.

But they are among the favourites to go up next season.

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s packed pre-season schedule with seven matches to be played in a little over two weeks will boost players’ fitness and prepare them for the start of the 2017-18 campaign, defender Phil Jones has said.

United, who finished sixth last season, start their preseason fixtures with a fivematch tour of the US where they face Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Europa League winners will then go to Norwegian side Valerenga in Oslo before a trip to Ireland where they’ll face play Italy’s Sampdoria.

“The more matches you play, the more match-fit you are and seven games will give everyone a chance to get minutes under their belts. You need everyone at a good level for the start of the season,” Jones said on the club’s official website. (www. manutd.com)

Jones says coach Jose Mourinho will have every detail of the tour planned out.

“We know exactly what the manager expects from us. He’ll have organised this preseason period exactly how he wants it – when we’ll train, when we’ll rest and when we’ll have commercial work to do,” Jones said. After their pre-season run, United take on Champions League winners Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in Macedonia on August. 8. – Reuters