Stephen Hendry told ‘you were my hero’ by former Chelsea captain John Terry over game of snooker

Former Chelsea captain John Terry says Stephen Hendry was a hero of his when he was growing up.

Terry says he watched Hendry on television as a teenager as the snooker legend went on to win five consecutive world titles between 1992 and 1996.

“Seeing you win trophy after trophy, year after year.

“I was 12 at the time but genuinely, when I saw you winning it was like ‘how did you stand [up] that mentality, what kind of motivates you?’ I was glued every year to the TV growing up and it stays with you.

“You were my hero. Still are, except on the golf course!”

Terry left his role as an assistant manager to then-boss Dean Smith at Aston Villa in 2021 and currently works part-time at Chelsea’s academy.

The 42-year-old says he would no longer consider taking a managerial job in football, but would return to fulfil a coaching role involving the first team at Chelsea if he was asked.

“I’m done from a managerial point of view,” he said. “The only job I’d come out of retirement for would be the Chelsea job and to be in some capacity with the first team.

“I love my role at the minute. I’ve got a bit of work where I’m working with the younger players because I’ve been through that process as a kid myself, I’m passing on loads of knowledge to them.

“I’m having conversations with them which I love. I want to play my golf and [have] my family time.”

Terry explains why he left Villa and admits he wanted to take a bit of a break from the sport after unsuccessfully securing a managerial role.

He said: “The reason I left Villa, I’ve never really said anywhere, but it was a family reason. I had to come back home and be with the family to support them.

“I loved my time at Villa, Dean Smith was great for me. I always see myself as a coach in the long-term.

“I enjoyed the coaching side of it but I have to say there were better coaches than me. We had Craig Shakespeare, Richard O’Kelly at Villa. They were better coaches than me.

“I always see myself as a manager but I went for a couple of jobs when I left, didn’t get those jobs, got a little bit deflated with it and just came away and spent a bit more family time.”

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