Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry is poised to take charge of all football decisions at Colchester United as part of a £14m takeover of the League Two club.
Terry is working with a consortium to buy Colchester and is expected to be in the stands for the club’s league game against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.
Colchester have confirmed that the club is in talks with a consortium regarding a proposed sale and Terry is thought to be hugely excited by the prospect of being part of the new ownership and his role within it.
Terry has not commented on the takeover, but it is understood that he will be put in charge of all football decisions at Colchester – including the manager, players and staff.
That could open the door to Colchester taking some promising Chelsea youngsters on loan, given Terry has been working part-time with the club’s academy. He has a diploma in club management.
Danny Cowley is currently head coach at Colchester, where Terry’s 22-year-old nephew Frankie is on the books.
Telegraph Sport reported in 2023 that Terry had explored trying to buy a 10 per cent stake in Chelsea as part of a consortium that included tech businessman Harley Kisberg and would have involved fan investment through PrimaryBid.
But it is believed Terry is working with different people over the proposed takeover of Colchester, whose current owner Robbie Cowling released a statement that said: “Colchester United are currently in detailed discussions with a consortium regarding a proposed sale of the club.
“At this stage, we are not in a position to comment on any specific individuals or companies involved. Further details will only be shared once a transaction has been fully completed and all formalities have been concluded. In the meantime, my focus remains on ensuring that any decision regarding the future ownership of the club is the right one for Colchester United, its supporters and its long-term success.”
Terry captained England and Chelsea, with whom he won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. He was an assistant to Dean Smith at Aston Villa and Leicester City, but has not made the move into management.
Barring any last-minute hitches, Terry will become the latest big name to be involved with a lower league club following the likes of Tom Brady at Birmingham City, Ryan Reynolds at Wrexham and Snoop Dogg at Swansea City.