John Terry: Aston Villa move will not take away from Chelsea career

John Terry starts life in the Championship when Aston Villa take on Hull on Saturday, having won his fifth Premier League title with Chelsea in May

Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry says his career will not be tarnished in any way if his move to Aston Villa is not a success.

The 36-year-old left Chelsea as their most decorated player, after winning 15 major honours with the London club.

He left the Premier League champions and joined a Villa side that finished 13th in the Championship last term.

"You don't put 22 years on the line, having won what I've won - that remains regardless," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Over the years at Chelsea, they haven't all been successes, we had some really disappointing ones.

"But if you can have a really good year and get promoted and win a trophy, the disappointing ones get forgotten a little.

"If I can add this to a long list of trophies and successes, fantastic."

Apart from a short loan stint with Nottingham Forest, Terry has spent his whole career at Chelsea, making 717 appearances, winning five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three League Cups. He also has Champions League and Europa League winners medals.

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'No private jets in the Championship'

John Terry won 78 caps for England, the last of which came in 2012

Terry made his first-team debut for the Blues against Villa in a League Cup tie October 1998, and got his first taste of Premier League, FA Cup and European football by the end of that campaign.

He briefly dropped into England's second tier with Forest the following season, and says lessons learned almost two decades ago will serve him well in the Championship as Villa chase promotion at their second attempt.

Asked about contending with the "blood and thunder" of England's second-tier competition, Terry replied: "When I look back to when I first came into football, that was kind of what it was about - the big battles, long journeys on the bus. There were no private jets and those kind of things.

Speaking to BBC WM 95.6, the Villa captain added: "I'm adapted to that. I'm not worried in the slightest.

"The physicality of the Championship doesn't worry me at all, it has always been a big part of my game.

"I'm really looking forward to it and am excited by the challenge ahead."