Much as it pains me to say it, despite his very dodgy, racist past, I'm prepared to give him a chance to rejoin the human race and he won't find a better place to do it than Villa Park. I'm proud that he acknowledges the stick the Holte have given him in the past, it obviously hit a nerve and has stayed with him. He has stated that he will have to earn the respect of the fans through his performances and if his attitude to football and the way he looks after himself is anything to go by, he won't have a problem.
It's easy to get sidetracked with new people saying the right thing, there were plenty of us who thought Tom Fox knew his arse from his elbow, to name just one example. In Terry's case, everything he's come out with since joining us has been a breath of fresh air. The man is a total pro and whilst like CT I would have preferred Chester to have remained captain, I honestly think Terry is just too good a captain not to give it to him. Anybody that hates losing as much as he does won't allow any slackers in the side. He wants to win and when he talks about winning the division, I believe him.
Whether he still has the legs is another matter. One thing I noticed over the last month was how seriously Terry takes his fitness, training daily, even on holiday. He may not end up playing every game but I honestly think he can get us up and running from the start.
Obviously he'll be under the microscope in more ways than one and rightly so. He has a chance to do his reputation the world of good, I just hope he grabs the opportunity with both hands. It will go one of two ways - either extremely well or extremely ugly. I really hope he's up for the challenge.
