Former Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton believes that John Terry is having a major impact in his role as a coach at the Premier League club.

The former Chelsea and England centre-back joined the Villans as part of Dean Smith's backroom staff in 2018 after finishing his playing career (BBC Sport).

Hutton would have worked closely with Terry last season as he was still a player at Villa Park, and he has claimed that his influence on the training pitch will help the likes of Tyrone Mings and Bjorn Engels.

The ex-Tottenham right-back believes that sometimes teams encourage defenders to play out from the back too much, whereas Terry and Aston Villa are telling their centre-backs that there is a time and place for that and also to simply put the ball into the stands and clear the danger.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton said: “Sometimes I think teams get wrapped up with: ‘We must play every single time,’ and ultimately you get in trouble doing things like that.

“Like Tyrone (Mings), he (Engels) knows when to just get rid of the ball. Just get rid of the ball, just squeeze up tight and play from there. There is a time to play which I do believe that they know the difference and obviously having John Terry there will help him.

“A guy who is arguably one of the best centre-halves ever to play the game is amazing to have, especially for young players to become better. They’ve got a good blend of doing the dirty work and the new-feel stuff.”

Terry was certainly one of the best defenders of his generation, and there is no doubt that having his influence at the club will be a benefit for their defenders.

Learning from Terry will help the likes of Mings and Engels become better players, and you can see the impact that the former England captain is having in performances.

Indeed, using Mings as an example, he has been outstanding this season and averages 7.3 clearances per game (WhoScored), perhaps indicating that he is being told to get rid of the danger when necessary.

The former Bournemouth man has broken into the England side since arriving at Villa (Transfermarkt), and it seems likely that the guidance of Terry is a major reason for his recent success.

Aston Villa fans, how much of an impact do you think John Terry has had as a coach at the club? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below...