Captain, leader, legend, owner? What John Terry will do if he takes over at Colchester United

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If you watched and listened to John Terry at close quarters during his playing career, his failure to get a manager’s role is probably something of a mystery. Whether or not you like certain traits in his character is another matter but it is hard to deny he was an inspirational figure as a player.

Achieving great things on the field should not give you a sense of coaching entitlement. But it has been hard not to acknowledge where he is coming from when Terry says it ‘baffles’ him that he has not even had ‘a sniff’ of a job as a manager - not even at lower league level.

As he saw the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney get great opportunities, it clearly frustrated Terry. Greatly.

So, it is easy to look at the story of Terry leading a consortium that is going to buy Colchester United and think the obvious. If there is one club owner that will definitely give John Terry a manager’s job, it is John Terry.

Which is probably why the news of a proposed Terry-led £14million takeover has probably set the alarm bells ringing loudly in the ears of Danny and Nicky Cowley, head coach and assistant head coach at Colchester. But it should not.

Some might not think it, but surely even Terry would have enough self-awareness not to go thundering in and kick out a popular manager, who has bags of experience. And at the age of 45, the managerial ship might well have sailed for Terry.

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But if he uses it well, Terry will bring wisdom garnered throughout a long, stellar career. You can almost hear his words if and when the takeover is confirmed. He will talk about not interfering, of course he will.

But that is a fanciful notion. How could he not have an input? Don’t forget, he had almost three years as an assistant to Dean Smith at Aston Villa and players held him in high regard during a period which brought promotion and consolidation in the Premier League. Terry also had a brief spell with Smith at Leicester City.

He would need to get the balance right but Terry as owner/director of football might well work brilliantly. And in whatever capacity, his involvement would be another shot in the arm for lower league football in this country.

The interest that the Wrexham story has generated is phenomenal and there is no reason why that cannot be repeated. There was once a widespread view that a good owner was one who was low-key and silent.

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That is no longer the case. High-profile, vocal owners are not necessarily a bad thing.

And I am guessing Terry would be high-profile and vocal - just as he was when plying his trade as one of the Premier League’s best-ever centre-halves. The Colchester United fanbase might have some reservations about becoming a project for Terry, but they should not.

It will be another compelling narrative in a football pyramid that is already packed with great stories. John Terry - captain, leader, legend, club owner. It will be fascinating, that is for sure.