John Terry: Nothing less than promotion will do for Aston Villa

It comes as no surprise therefore to find the Chelsea legend, now Villa captain, in determined mood ahead of his first season in the Championship.

For Terry, only one outcome will be acceptable.

“Should we be winning the league? Yes,” he said. “If not , what do you take from there? Nothing.

“Nothing else is really acceptable for me as an individual and how I have behaved and what I have been around in previous years.”

Terry has arrived at Villa Park with a reputation for success reflected in a European Cup victory and five Premier League winners medals.

But it is the fear of failure which provides perhaps his greatest motivation and found him, at the age of 36, accepting a brand new and quite different challenge in the second tier.

“Having a taste of winning and then having seasons over the years when you don’t win, they burn unbelievably,” he said.

“When you play 38 games throughout the year and walk away with nothing after being the second or first best team or missing out by a few points, even now that gets me.

“That makes me boil inside still – the opportunities I have missed out over the years of not winning six or seven Leagues or FA Cups.

“That is just my character, I want to win. That burning desire, whether it is training games, or table tennis against the kids.

“You have either got it or you haven’t. I am very grateful I have got it and the ambition is very clear to me.”

Terry was the first of five summer arrivals at Villa Park during the close season.

Ahmed Elmohamady, Glenn Whelan and Chris Samba all followed as boss Steve Bruce prioritised adding experienced campaigners, while Manchester United goalkeeper Sam Johnstone has returned for another loan spell.

Terry believes Villa’s status as second favourites behind Middlesbrough is deserved.

“We have enough to go up for sure,” he said. “With the squad of players we already had the additions the manager has made already, we have a big squad more than capable of going up.

“If we put things right on the pitch there is no reason why we shouldn’t go up.

“Clearly we all want to be champions and want to go up but worst case scenario, because in this league you get a buffer, then if we go up runners-up then I am sure we would all take that as well.”

Confident and determined as Terry might be, he also shrewd enough to know there are those questioning whether his frame will withstand the rough and tumble of a Championship campaign.

Leaving Chelsea and joining Villa has also provided new experiences, including an initiation song. Terry’s version of the Stevie Wonder classic Stand By Me, performed during the club’s pre-season training camp in Portugal, went viral but the centre-back admits he didn’t sleep for the previous two nights due to nerves.

“It was horrible!” he laughed. “But it is exciting to be here and important to get off to a good start. The club deserves to be in the Premier League.

“I have experienced pressure at the highest level whether as England captain or Chelsea captain.

“I have been scrutinised rightly or wrongly over the years but that comes with football nowadays. That doesn’t bother me at all.

“Clearly I am not going to perform well very game, I know that going into every season. But what I will give is everything and I am pretty sure over the 46 games there are going to be a lot more better games than there is the other way.”