John Terry reveals Sunderland disagreement after Stadium of Light failure
Sunderland have revelled in the success of their Championship play-off triumph with the unlikeliest of managers.
It would be hard to find a Black Cats supporter who had heard of Regis Le Bris before his appointment on Wearside, and rightly so.
However, Le Bris has delivered the ultimate prize of Premier League football to the satisfaction of fans.
It could all have been so different, though, as John Terry opened up on the interview he had on Wearside all those years ago.
John Terry reflects on Sunderland interview
When they were in the pits of League One, Sunderland had a defining decision to make to escape to the Championship.
Lee Johnson had just been fired following the Black Cats’ 6-0 drubbing to Bolton Wanderers and were in search of a new manager.
The Wearsiders were still well in the play-off picture, but they would need the right man to get the North East club over the line.
John Terry was one man under consideration as he chased his first managerial job in England.
However, the Sunderland hierarchy decided to give the job to the experienced Alex Neil, who secured promotion via the play-offs.
| Position | Team | Points |
| 1st | Wigan Athletic | 92 |
| 2nd | Rotherham United | 90 |
| 3rd | MK Dons | 89 |
| 4th | Sheffield Wednesday | 85 |
| 5th | Sunderland | 84 |
| 6th | Wycombe Wanderers | 83 |
Since then, Terry has yet to manage and has instead been enjoying his role as a youth coach in Chelsea’s academy.
The former Chelsea man was asked about whether he would consider entering management on talkSPORT (27 May, 06:31 pm) and reflected on the Wearside interview.
He said: “Sunderland was one of them. I had the interview there and thought this was going really well…
“We had a disagreement on the style of play, and then they said ‘you don’t have experience’… I captained Chelsea for 22 years.”
The Black Cats made correct Terry call
Although we will never know if Terry could cut it in management, it would be hard to argue against the North East club’s decision.
The Sunderland hierarchy had immense pressure on them to end the Wearsiders’ League One stay, and Terry would have been a risk.
Of course, Neil delivered promotion, but did not hang around very long, departing for Stoke City after five Championship matches.
In the end, it all turned out rosy as the Black Cats are set to return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.
As for Terry, only time will tell if he dips his feet into management.