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ESPNcricinfo charts Graeme Swann’s career

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2013April 1998 – Destroyed on debut
Having impressed through the stages of age-group cricket, Graeme Swann makes his first-class debut in Northamptonshire’s first Championship match of the 1998 season, against Surrey at The Oval. 24 days past his 19th birthday a young Swann keeps flighting the ball up at Ali Brown, who carts him for repeated sixes in a 73-ball century. Swann ends with the bruising figures of 1 for 91 from 13 overs.July 1998 – Maiden first-class ton
Having chipped in with useful scores through the season, Swann has a monster performance against Leicestershire at Grace Road. He falls eight short of a hundred in the first innings, but, batting at No. 8, makes 111 in the second.August 1999 – England calling
After a solid second season and a good finish, particularly in one-day cricket, 21-year-old Swann is called up to the England squad for the final Test of the summer. He doesn’t play and England lose the match and series to New Zealand to become the worst ranked side in the world.January 2000 – Trouble in South Africa
As a self-proclaimed ‘obnoxious loud-mouth’, Swann causes trouble for everyone bar the opposition as he fails to play a Test all tour against South Africa. His lengthy list of misdemeanours include sleeping through his alarm to miss the team bus and, it later emerged, being floored by a punch from a senior fast-bowling team-mate. Swann makes his ODI debut, England’s first one-day game of the new millennium, at Bloemfontein. He has a tidy match but is expelled from international cricket for the rest of Duncan Fletcher’s reign.August 2002 – Flying high with Michael Hussey
Seven years before the wicket of Hussey would seal Swann’s name in cricket folklore, he shared a 318-run stand with the Australian against Gloucestershire in Bristol, making 183, his highest first-class score to date.October 2004 – Moves to Nottinghamshire
After a frustrating final season at Northamptonshire, where he averaged 20.71 with the bat and 38.93 with the ball, Swann moved to Nottinghamshire, with coach Mick Newell welcoming the chirpy approach that galled others. He moves into Kevin Pietersen’s old house as his future England team-mate moved to Hampshire.March 2005 – A-Grade in the A-Team
While England were climbing to their Ashes 2005 summit Swann was slowly rebuilding his career. The England selectors proved there was still some hope by including him in the England A tour to Sri Lanka. Though a disappointing tour for the team Swann emerged with his reputation enhanced.September 2007 – Finally, the beginning of the road
Seven years had passed since Swann’s single taste of international cricket, but England under the new regime of Peter Moores he was back in favour. Monty Panesar’s star was beginning to fade and Swann’s all-round ability made an attractive option. He’s included on England’s Test and ODI squads for Sri Lanka starts the second phase of his career in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Dambulla. Wins man of the match for his 4 for 34 and 25 that helped England to victory in the third game at the same venue.Swann was instrumental in helping England to their first series win in India for a quarter of a century•BCCIDecember 2009 – Double on debut
Makes his Test debut against India at Chennai. In his first over he claims the key wickets of Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid and sets a trend that continues for striking in the first over of a spell.February 2009 – England’s No.1
Having started the winter as Monty Panesar’s understudy, Swann replaces him as the sole spinner in the side for the Test against West Indies at St John’s. He celebrates by taking eight wickets in the match including his maiden five-wicket haul – 5 for 57 in the first innings.September 2009 – Ashes winner
Having started slowly at Cardiff, Swann grew in confidence playing breezy, often momentum-arresting innings with the bat through the series and taking crucial fourth-innings wickets in the win at Lord’s. In the third Test at Edgbaston he produced one of the most compelling passages of play in the series, testing and teasing Ricky Ponting for five balls, before castling him with Swann’s own ‘ball of the century’. In the final Test at The Oval Swann was in the wickets again, taking four in the second innings including the final, Ashes-winning scalp of Michael Hussey. January 2010 – Soaring in South Africa
South Africa should never have been the venue for a finger-spinner to cement his place near the pinnacle of the game. Yet Graeme Swann’s stellar performances, with bat and particular ball gifted England a series draw which they should never have earned and propelled Swann to No.3 in the world’s bowling rankings. Man of the match in the first two Tests, his first innings five-wicket haul at Centurion and nine wickets to win England the Test at Durban, were pivotal in holding together an erratic four-man attack. He completed his first full year in Test cricket with 54 wickets from 11 games, second only to Mitchell Johnson in 2009.December 2010 – Adelaide owned
On the truest Test wicket in Australia, England knew they needed a performance from Swann if they were to wrap up victory in the second Test, especially given that Stuart Broad had been ruled out of the rest of the game with a torn stomach muscle. He duly delivered with five second-innings wickets.August 2011 – World No. 1
England humiliated India at home and their premier spinner proved too great a task even for the men from the subcontinent. Swann took nine wickets as England won at Lord’s and then returned at the end of the series to pick up six wickets in the second innings of the final Test at The Oval as England polished off a 4-0 whitewash.December 2012 – Conquoring the final frontier
No-one thought it was possible, England out-spinning India in India but Swann and Monty Panesar combined to deliver a famous victory. Their finest hour came in Mumbai as eight wickets for Swann and 11 for Panesar returned the best figures by England spinners since 1958. The performance not only levelled the series but gave England belief and they went on to win the series 2-1 – their first triumph in India for a quarter of a century.

Two 40-year-olds have been among the key men in the BBL. And they haven’t been alone in the tournament

Alex Malcolm28-Jan-2012Insert your cliché here. Age is merely a state of mind. You can’t buy experience. Forty is the new 30. You never lose it.All these adages were to be tested in the Big Bash League when so many retirees signed up for the tournament.Shane Warne was a major coup, but it was not entirely unexpected. Despite being 42, his signing for the Melbourne Stars came on the back of regular appearances in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals. Likewise, Matthew Hayden had been playing for Chennai Super Kings as recently as the 2010 Champions League, and had long been interested in representing the Brisbane Heat.But when it was announced that Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill, both 40, both without any professional cricket at all in over three years, would represent the Perth Scorchers and the Sydney Sixers respectively, the legitimacy of this Big Bash League came under heavy scrutiny. Questions were being raised as to why a highly successful state-based Big Bash had been scrapped for a franchise-based
competition that would feature a bunch of “has-beens” looking for a superannuation boost. It was akin to HBO axing at the peak of its popularity for reruns of .And yet it is the two 40-year-olds, Hogg and MacGill, who have been the headline acts.Hogg’s tournament has been remarkable, extraordinary in reality. Between March of 2008 and November 2010 the left-arm wristspinner had played no competitive cricket whatsoever until he returned for his club side, Willetton, in the WACA Grade Twenty20 competition. The
competitive urges were not satisfied enough after two games, and he returned to play in the two-day competition in February 2011.Six games later he was back on the WACA ground, playing in the A-grade final, having taken five wickets in the elimination final, and made 144 in the semi. His opponents in the decider, Subiaco-Floreat, had faced the incumbent Test spinner Michael Beer in their semi, and to a man were unanimous in declaring Hogg the far more challenging opponent of the two.Less than 10 months later Hogg has been picked to play T20 cricket for Australia. His form in the BBL has been phenomenal. Going into the final, his 12 wickets at 13.50 are eye-catching enough, putting him alongside Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, James Faulkner, and Mitchell Starc as the most damaging bowlers in the tournament. But his economy rate has been incredible. No player has come close to Hogg’s effectiveness in conceding less than six runs an over.The figures are astonishing, yet Hogg has never had any physical restrictions. Even at 40, he has been one of the fittest and most agile players in the Scorchers side, his fielding still an outstanding feature of his game.The MacGill story is a different one, and yet he has been just as successful as Hogg. MacGill retired in May 2008, mid-Test-tour in the Caribbean, mentally and physically finished. His knees had given way. Carpal-tunnel syndrome was affecting his wrist. Touring had taken its toll. Cricket was a past life and MacGill was ready for a new one.Yet he returned to New South Wales grade cricket in November 2011 for Sydney University. After four T20s and three club matches, his old mate Stuart Clark gave him a job with the Sydney Sixers.There was trepidation on opening night against the Brisbane Heat. But 2 for 21 alleviated any doubts MacGill, or others, may have had about his place in the Sixers side.While the figures are not as eye-catching as Hogg’s – MacGill’s six wickets have cost 24.33 apiece while he operated at 6.95 runs per over – MacGill’s fingerprints have been all over the Sixers’ key wins, as his mastery, guile, and skill proving too good in the big moments.He removed Hayden and Brendon McCullum to set the first game up, and his was against Hobart in the semi-final. The tournament’s leading scorer, Travis Birt, held the key to the match on his broad bat. MacGill unlocked him with the artistry of a safe cracker, removing him with a wrong’un that would have caused even Shane Warne to tip his hat.MacGill, like Hogg, has had so successful a return that he has nominated and been picked up for
the Bangladesh T20 Premier League.Both men have been stars of tournament, but they have not overshadowed the biggest star of all, Warne. The king was expected to perform. We knew he could write his own scripts; only, this time he got to tell us what would happen before it actually happened.

With four forty-somethings having dominated the Big Bash, it is worth asking: are we too hasty to cast elder statesmen aside, or is it simply an indictment of the younger players coming through

At 42 he is as fit as he has ever been, and not surprisingly is still bowling with tremendous control and confidence. Warne may not have the mystery trickery he once possessed, but his powers of deduction, and his ability to break down a batman’s technique or tactics in a short space of time have never been greater.The special part about this year’s BBL is that Warne has taken us through it ball-by-ball with live in-the-run commentary that has been as insightful as brilliant.Hayden, too, has commentated while playing, giving frank and honest assessments of his opponents and cricket generally. His candour has been refreshing in a world where cricketers must tip-toe diplomatically across every single contentious issue.Hayden may have a little less hair these days but he is no less intimidating with bat in hand, and while he was not as dominant has his three former Australian team-mates, he was extremely
competitive.Which begs the question, is 40 the new 30?Thirty has been a taboo age for cricketers in recent times and yet as these four greats will attest, age is no barrier to success. Michael Hussey’s entire Test career has been played out after his 30th
birthday. Ricky Ponting has more Test centuries and fifties after 30 than he did before, at a better strike rate, while averaging barely half a run less. Both are getting ever closer to the big four-zero mark, and though they have been doubted through periods of poor form, they have proved beyond doubt they are still currently irreplaceable in the Australian Test line-up.With four forty-somethings having dominated the Big Bash, it is worth asking: are we too hasty to cast elder statesmen aside, or is it simply an indictment of the younger players coming through?Whichever way you look at it, the competition has been far better for the presence of the senior statesmen. You can’t buy experience, but you can buy experienced players, and in this instance they have been worth every cent.

The chilly weather accentuated the pain of the Old Trafford loss

Ross Taylor29-May-2008
The faithful may have braved “Cold Trafford”, but cricket will always be second to football in England when it comes to fan following © Getty Images
A week in Manchester left me in no doubt as to which sport dominates in this country. The noise in the streets after Manchester United beat Chelsea in the Champions League final was so loud I couldn’t sleep. There were literally thousands of people dressed in red, the like of which you’d never see in New Zealand. In contrast after England beat us in the second Test, the town was pretty quiet on Monday night.That was little consolation for us, though. When you play poorly and get thrashed losses are easier to take, but we had got ourselves into a winning position and could not kick on. Monty Panesar bowled well in the second innings, and our bowlers couldn’t match his effort.It seemed a gutsy call for Michael Vaughan to go for the heavy roller prior to England’s second innings. Looking back, it probably helped flatten out the wicket a bit, which did not help us. A combination of below-par bowling and a fielding effort not up to the standard we set ourselves meant we didn’t apply enough pressure – on Andrew Strauss, especially. As a result England were able to score at three runs per over, which was quick in the context of this series.Coming off the field on the losing side was bad enough; feeling like an icicle made me wonder whether they really do have a summer over here. It was seriously cold at Old Trafford, and windier than at Basin Reserve when those notorious northerlies blow, so having Iain O’Brien in the side was timely. He’s a regular into-the-wind bowler for his province, Wellington, and did a brilliant job on his Test recall.I’ve heard a few people question Daniel Flynn’s decision to not bat again after that blow to the face caused him to lose two teeth. I was at the other end, and the view I had of his injury was pretty nasty. A player’s health is the first priority, even in a game of this importance. That said, had we been batting last with victory in sight, Daniel probably would have batted.The loss overshadowed my 154 in the first innings, which at the time was incredibly satisfying after it had all gone a bit pear-shaped at Lord’s. My defence was much surer, there were no nerves this time, and as a result I was able to score freely when the right ball came along. The first 120 or so runs felt like they came in the traditional Test manner, while the last few were more IPL-like as I looked to clear the fence.In a funny sort of way, Jamie How has benefited from the IPL more than most. Being our stand-in captain at the start of the tour while Dan Vettori was in India, Jamie was exempt from being allocated team duty. Somehow he’s stayed under the radar and still has no job. Though with Peter Fulton battling to deliver an acceptable standard of music for the changing rooms, his role has Jamie’s name written all over it.The loss overshadowed my 154 in the first innings, which at the time was incredibly satisfying after it had all gone a bit pear-shaped at Lord’s. My defense was much surer, there were no nerves this time, and as a result I was able to score freely when the right ball came alongSure, Peter might not know what an iPod is or what music is cool these days, but some music would be better than nothing at all.Musical tastes in the team are split. Jamie, Iain and Michael Mason are keen on bogan music (heavy metal and pub rock bands; they wear black t-shirts). Dan, Jacob Oram, Jeetan Patel and myself are into R&B. Being from Oxford in North Canterbury, Peter must have thought R&B meant Red and Black when he produced his rugby team’s theme song.I, too, need to get my act together after leaving the New Zealand flag in my room more than once. Still, it’s time we were much tougher on duty evaders and the time for bigger fines must be near. In Peter’s case, surely the words “you’re fired”, from are not far away.Next up is a three-day game against Northamptonshire, which has probably come at a good time for us. It’s an opportunity to get in some important practice away from the Test-match crowds. I’ll probably go to the cinema this week, and I’m hoping the wait for a taxi will be shorter than the one hour people lined up for on the night of Ricky Hatton’s fight in Manchester last Saturday. That was the longest queue I’ve ever seen.

Former Liverpool star Djibril Cisse thinks Hugo Ekitike could be the club's new Peter Crouch, but has warned he will need time to settle at Anfield. Ekitike is all set to sign for the Reds after the Premier League champions agreed on a £79 million ($106m) deal with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. A six-year contract has been lined up for the 23-year-old, who was also linked with Newcastle.

Ekitike compared to CrouchCisse says he'll need time to settleClose to sealing move from FrankfurtFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward reportedly flew to England on Tuesday with his agent to formally complete his transfer to Liverpool. He will now undergo his medical before putting pen to paper on a six-year deal. The final deal between the English and Frankfurt includes an initial £69m ($93m) fee, with the potential for another £10m to be paid at a later date in add-ons.

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Ex-Reds and France forward Cisse has now opened up on his compatriot's transfer to the Premier League giants, as he suggested that Ekitike could be the club's new Crouch. He also issued a warning that Ekitike will need time to adjust to the intensity of English football.

WHAT CISSE SAID

Speaking to , Cisse said: "I think he'll adapt to the Reds' game. In his style, a bit of a 'target man', a bit like Crouch, all things considered, he's the only one in the squad. The coach will be able to take advantage of that. Afterwards, we shouldn't perhaps expect to be a starter all the time from the start. There's Mohamed Salah and some great players up front, again. Ekitike will especially have to get used to the intensity and impact of England."

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Arne Slot's Liverpool will kick off their Asia tour with a pre-season friendly against AC Milan on July 26 at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong. Ekitike could join the tour once his transfer from Frankfurt goes through.

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has sent an emotional message to "true gem" Jack Marriott following his transfer to Reading.

Marriott helps Wrexham earn promotionsStriker completes Reading transferReynolds sends emotional messageFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Reading confirmed the signing of the 30-year-old on a three-year deal on Tuesday, ending an 18-month stint at Wrexham. Following the move, Reynolds has heaped praise on the striker and wished him well at the League One team.

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In an Instagram story, he wrote: "Thank you, @jackmarriott14 for giving your all to this club and town. @readingfc has a true gem of a man and player in their midst. A leader on and off the field. I'll miss him at the Cae Ras."

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Former Derby County man Marriott racked up 43 appearances for Wrexham, scoring seven goals along the way, and was part of a side that secured promotion from League Two in 2024 and then League One a few months ago. For Reynolds to say what he did shows the mark of both men. 

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Following Marriott's move to Reading, Wrexham boss Parkinson predicted big things for the ex-Fleetwood Town forward.

He added: "I’d like to wish Jack all the best at his new club; he’s a great lad. He started the season off so well last year, but had such an unfortunate injury. I’m sure he’s going to be a great signing for Reading."

Former England spinner Monty Panesar will stand as a parliamentary candidate for George Galloway’s Workers Party at the next general election.Panesar, who was born in Luton and played 50 Tests for England, taking 167 wickets at 34.71, will be on the ballot in Ealing Southall. The constituency has been a Labour Party stronghold under Vivendra Sharma since 2007. Sharma currently holds a majority of over 16,000 in a constituency whose population, according to the 2021 Census, is almost one-third (30 per cent) Asian.”I want to be the voice for the workers of this country,” Panesar said in a column in The Telegraph. “My aspiration in politics is to one day become Prime Minister, where I would make Britain a safer and stronger nation. But the first job at hand is to represent the people of Ealing Southall.”Galloway returned to the House of Commons in March after victory in the Rochdale by-election, following the death of the previous incumbent, Labour MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Speaking on Tuesday morning, Galloway confirmed Panesar, 42, will be unveiled as one of his party’s candidates at a press event outside the Houses of Parliament.Speaking to LBC, Galloway said: “I’ll present 200 of them outside Parliament this afternoon, including – you’ll like this – Monty Panesar, the ace Indian cricketer, former England international cricketer, who will be our candidate in Southall.””Monty, of course, was a great left-arm spinner and so we could do with him”.Panesar, whose full name is Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, became the first practising Sikh to represent England in 2006, when selected at Nagpur in the first Test of that winter’s tour of India.Following his retirement, he undertook a sports journalism course at St Mary’s University, London, and earlier this month leant his support to the Show Racism the Red Card campaign, in which he talked up the benefits of immigration in a video.In 2021, he defended Michael Vaughan, his former England captain, after he was accused of using racist language towards Azeem Rafiq during a match for Yorkshire in 2009.

Manchester United are determined to sell Alejandro Garnacho in the summer transfer window and have set a short deadline to offload the wantaway winger. Garnacho has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford since the start of the window, after he fell out of favour under Ruben Amorim. He has attracted interest from Chelsea and Italian champions Napoli.

• Man Utd ready to sell Garnacho
• Set short deadline to offload Garnacho
• Chelsea and Napoli are keen on signing Garnacho

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , United do not want to waste time in Garnacho's sale as they are ready to let the Argentine winger leave before the end of July. They have started to look for potential buyers amid strong interest from Chelsea and Napoli.

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  The Red Devils have formed a 'bomb squad' of five players who have been deemed surplus to Amorim's needs. Out of that unit, Rashford has already exited the club as he completed a loan move to Barcelona. Now, Garnacho is all set to follow in the English winger's footsteps. Several clubs have shown interest in the winger, who is currently valued at £60 million ($80m), but the player has reportedly expressed his desire to stay in England.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Amorim recently admitted that the Red Devils might not chase an elite No.9 this summer as he trusts new signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to take up the goalscoring responsibility in the 2025-26 campaign.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  United will play their first pre-season friendly of their U.S. tour on Sunday as they take on West Ham at MetLife Stadium.

MatériaMais Notícias

No Nilton Santos, o Internacional mostrou o seu poder de fogo e conseguiu derrotar o Botafogo por 1 a 0, placar que deixou o time vivo na disputa pelo título do Brasileirão.

Na coletiva de imprensa, o técnico Mano Menezes exaltou o time e comentou a atuação dos seus comandados em mais um jogo no torneio nacional.

– Começamos um pouco distante. Depois empurramos Alemão para a direita e construir de pé em pé. Tivemos duas ou três chances no primeiro tempo. Voltamos melhor no segundo, fizemos o gol e sustentamos até o final. A entrega é muito grande. São 11 jogos sem derrota. Estamos aí por fazer muito bem feita a nossa parte no campeonato – declarou.

Na próxima rodada, o Internacional mede forças contra o Coritiba, no sempre complicado Couto Pereira.

Com 60 pontos na classificação do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Internacional está a oito pontos do líder Palmeiras.

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Lionel Messi 'didn't have one good moment' during his Paris Saint-Germain spell due to Neymar's rivalry with Kylian Mbappe. A figure said to be close to the legendary Argentine has offered a rare insight into his uncomfortable two-year stint in the French capital, revealing he felt alienated and undermined amid internal tensions at the club.

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• Messi allegedly didn't enjoy his PSG spell
• Was affected due to tension between Nyemar & Mbappe
• Left the Parisians after an uncomfortable two-year stint

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  When Messi made the shock move from Barcelona to PSG in 2021, the footballing world buzzed with anticipation. The deal was seen as a statement signing for the French giants, aiming to solidify their position among Europe’s elite.

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  The attacking trio of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe was expected to terrorise defences across the continent. On paper, the partnership promised fireworks. But on the pitch, their chemistry was inconsistent. Though PSG lifted the Ligue 1 title in both of Messi’s seasons, the expected dominance never truly materialized, especially on the European stage.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  An insider, speaking to , painted a bleak picture of Messi’s off-the-pitch experience. Struggles with the club’s environment, feeling caught in the middle of Neymar and Mbappé’s simmering rivalry, and the lack of special recognition following his World Cup triumph reportedly left Messi longing for his life in Barcelona.

  "He didn’t have one good moment in Paris. He couldn’t go out. He found himself in the middle of the Neymar-Mbappe rivalry," the source said. "He even felt that the club protected the Frenchman and didn’t even honour his World Cup title. In Barcelona, he was a God. He was used to taking his kids to school, the sun…it was a lot of things combined".

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tensions reached a boiling point in May 2023. Messi was handed a two-week suspension by PSG after embarking on an unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia, a move not approved by then-manager Christophe Galtier. Though he later returned to the squad, the incident signalled a breakdown in the relationship between player and club. Shortly after the season’s conclusion, Messi confirmed his departure and joined Inter Miami, opting for a fresh start in Major League Soccer.

John Terry fears he may have to give up on his of being a manager, suggesting English bosses receive fewer opportunities to progress in their careers.

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Terry last held an assistant manager role in 2023Ex-England captain: "I know I am ready"Lower league clubs told legend time as No.2 meant "nothing"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The former England captain has held a number of coaching roles since he retired in 2018. Terry was number Dean Smith's number two at Aston Villa from after he hung up his boots, but left the role after his boss was fired in 2021. After a brief stint coaching with Chelsea, he again served as Smith's assistant during a short stint at Leicester during the 2022-23 season. The club was relegated to the Championship that year.

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Terry currently works part-time at Chelsea's academy. Despite the lack of opportunity, he remains committed to his ultimate dream of becoming a manager. That aspiration appears unlikely to be met, as the Premier League legend has been told by lower league teams that he lacks experience. Despite the setbacks, Terry says he has a great balance in life, and is enjoying working with the young players at the Stamford Bridge club.

WHAT JOHN TERRY SAID

Terry said: "My passion has not diminished at all. Of course I want to be a manager. It’s time consuming, I’m watching games, re-watching games and I’m doing courses, I’m spending so much time waiting for this opportunity.

"The longer it goes on, the more likely I will just have to draw a line and say: ‘you know what? I’m going to focus on other things.’ I’ve captained Chelsea, I’ve captained my country and led those teams to many successes. I don’t why I’ve not had an opportunity, I really don’t.

“I don’t think English managers get the same opportunities. I think we get blown away by foreign managers that have dominated leagues which are not at the top level and yet still get the opportunities in the UK and the Premier League.

"I’ve interviewed for clubs in the lower league and the feedback has come back and they say I have no experience for a start and my three years at Villa kind of means nothing. I absolutely loved my time at Villa. I feel I am ready. I know I am ready. I’ve done all my badges and I’m watching so much football.

“I have a good balance of life, I’m in a happy place. I’m doing some work away, I’m spending a bit of time with the family and part time at Chelsea working with the kids so I’ve got a really nice balance in life.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR JOHN TERRY?

Terry's comments suggest he will continue to push for a chance in the hot seat, however, it's unclear where that first shot will come.