Former Chelsea captain John Terry is still hungry for more in football, even after a glittering, medal-stacked playing career. But in an exclusive interview with Livesport Daily, flagship Czech podcast, he admits he now wonders whether his chance to progress in coaching may have passed.

The interview forms part of ‘The Big Pete’, a multimedia project by CANAL+ Sport launching in spring 2026.

Terry—who lifted the Champions League, multiple Premier League titles and several domestic trophies in his 19 years at Stamford Bridge—made 492 appearances for Chelsea as the club’s defensive leader and captain.

After hanging up his boots in 2018, he moved straight into coaching, joining Dean Smith’s staff at Aston Villa, where he helped the club secure promotion to the Premier League. A brief spell at Leicester City followed, before he returned to Chelsea in a part-time video analysis role.

But with more than four years having passed since he last coached at Villa Park, Terry told the podcast that standing still in such a competitive industry can leave you behind.

“Maybe I’ve been out too long”

Reflecting on his coaching aspirations, Terry said:

“I spent three years at Aston Villa where we got promoted back to the Premier League, and then I was in search of a job myself but didn’t get the opportunity to coach or manage.

I worked really hard for two or three years after leaving Villa trying to find a role and was unable to find anything. There’s nothing more I can do other than enjoy my life now. I searched for a couple of years, but nothing came up that ticked the box or made me happy.”

He added:

“I’ve probably been out of it for too long now. It’s been four years. If you want to be a top coach or manager, you have to be obsessed and keep your finger on the pulse.

My dream is to manage Chelsea, but without doing all the other stuff, that dream probably doesn’t become reality.”

The Champions League: joy after heartbreak

Even if coaching opportunities haven’t materialised, Terry has no shortage of achievements to reflect on—none greater than Chelsea’s long-awaited Champions League triumph.

Having slipped during his decisive penalty in the 2008 final shootout defeat to Manchester United, he watched from the stands, suspended, in Munich in 2012 as Chelsea stunned Bayern on their home turf.

This didn’t stop him from stealing a few headlines afterwards:

“I had my full kit. Do you not remember?” he joked.

Despite not playing, he still considers that night his greatest Chelsea moment:

“People ask me my best moment in a Chelsea shirt. For me, it’s the game I didn’t play in.

When you’ve been at a club for so long, you understand how important it is to the supporters and the people within the club.

We worked so hard for that trophy. It’s the most difficult I ever tried to win. In a game where we were second favourites—away in Munich against Bayern—we did it.”

He praised the heroics of Petr Čech and Didier Drogba, while admitting that luck, experience and sheer determination finally aligned for the Blues’ ageing squad:

“We had top players, but you also need a little bit of luck. Seeing what it meant to the players and supporters—that was the best moment.”

England’s “golden generation” puzzle

Terry also reflected on England’s much-discussed “golden generation”, a squad loaded with stars—Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, David Beckham—but unable to progress beyond a major-tournament quarter-final.

Asked why, Terry said:

“I don’t know. I’ve heard other players give reasons, but I didn’t feel the same.

I didn’t feel rivalry in the dressing room. I tried to bring everyone together. Maybe the rivalry between Liverpool and Man United was too fierce.”

Gerrard has previously described the group as “egotistical”, but Terry responded diplomatically:

“It’s something we’ve never actually spoken about as players. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion—Frank, Stevie, Rio, Scholes.

It doesn’t mean I have to agree. When I was with England, I felt like an England player, not a Chelsea player.”

England’s shot at the 2026 World Cup

Looking ahead, Terry believes England’s current generation is approaching its peak, especially after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a perfect record:

“It’s probably the best opportunity we’re going to have.

We have a really good mix—experienced players like Harry Kane, Harry Maguire and John Stones, alongside young, fearless talent like Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham.

These guys feel no fear going into games. We have a real opportunity.”

In his full conversation on Livesport Daily, Terry also discussed the pressures of Premier League life, the best opponent he ever faced, and the challenges of leading an elite club.