John Terry will leave Aston Villa after just one season after they were unable to gain promotion from the Championship, the club has confirmed.
Villa moved to snap up Terry on a free transfer following his trophy-laden career at Stamford Bridge, where five Premier League titles, and winners' medals in the Champions League and Europa League – even though he did not play in either final – were among his list of achievements
Despite his age and being in the twilight of his career, former England skipper Terry made a telling contribution at Villa and captained them as they finished fourth in the regular season, securing a spot in the play-offs.
It had been reported that a one-year extension was to be handed to the centre-back if Villa managed to return to the Premier League, but a 1-0 defeat to Fulham in the play-off final ended those plans.
A statement from club owner Tony Xia earlier on Wednesday hinted at imminent changes, as he told supporters Villa "will face severe FFP [Financial Fair Play] challenges next season".
And it will come as a surprise to few that Terry, whose contract was reportedly worth £80,000 per week, is the first to move on.
