Steve Bruce prepared to offer John Terry coaching role at Aston Villa

Reports this week claimed Terry was considering a return to Chelsea in the summer as he looks to begin a career in coaching.

But Bruce is eager for him to stay and would be prepared to offer the 37-year-old a role as player-coach, should he decide to carry on playing for another year.

Any deal would almost certainly depend on Villa winning promotion, while Terry is not expected to make a firm decision on his future until the end of the season.

Bruce said: “John will be the one who decides his own destiny but whatever he decides to do, I hope he decides to be a coach here.

“There could be a part of me which asks, is he going to play on? Certainly he still has a lot to offer in that department.

“I hope he stays here. If he wants to do coaching he can come and be part of our coaching team. If that is what he wants, no problem. But I think John will make his own decision.

"When we have achieved what we are trying to achieve, we will sit down and talk."

Bruce has previously expressed hope Terry would opt for a career in management, believing the former England international has much to offer.

For now he believes the five-time Premier League winner’s focus is on helping Villa reclaim their top flight status.

Currently second in the Championship, Villa head to Fulham on Saturday knowing victory would see them match a club postwar record of eight straight league wins.

Bruce, who has seen his spending hampered by Financial Fair Play restrictions during the last two transfer windows, acknowledges winning promotion would allow the club to loosen the purse strings.

In addition to keeping Terry, the manager would offer Alan Hutton a new contract and seek to sign Robert Snodgrass on a permanent deal from West Ham.

He said: “It gives me all sorts of options if we get promoted but we can’t have those conversations until we know where we are.

“That goes for Alan, John, Snoddy - can we sign him from West Ham?

“We have got a chance if we go up. If we don’t then I don’t think we have. All of those things are three months down the line but we will try our best.”