John Terry will officially begin a new chapter in his career on Monday, with his return to Aston Villa given the “full approval” of head coach Dean Smith.

Terry, the former Chelsea defender and Villa captain, has joined Smith’s backroom staff as a joint assistant and will work alongside Richard O’Kelly in the first steps on his road to becoming a manager.

The 37-year-old is studying for his coaching badges and eventually has designs on following former England team-mates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard into management.

Telegraph Sport understands Smith is completely on board with the Terry appointment and believes he will prove a key member of of his coaching team.

Villa were keen to bring Terry back but stressed to Smith during interview negotiations that the appointment was not a deal-breaker.

Smith held talks with Terry over the phone on Wednesday and decided adding the former England captain to his staff would be a huge boost for the players, who all admire him after his 12 months as a Villa player last season.