John Terry will be leaving Aston Villa in the coming weeks when his contract is up after a disappointing end to his time in the West Midlands.

The Chelsea legend joined Steve Bruce's men 12 months ago with the aim of promotion but they ultimately fell short after the play-off final defeat to Fulham.

Despite that, Terry has undoubtedly been a positive influence on the Villa team, impressing both on and off the pitch.

He was named in the EFL team of the year, whilst his role as a captain and leader at Villa Park has been credited with creating a real bond between the players and supporters that had been missing for years.

Given that, he was a fans favourite and Terry revealed just how much the supporters meant to him when speaking to the club after news of his departure was announced.

"A special thank you to the Villa supporters who have supported us both home and away in their thousands, up and down the country and have been amazing to me on a personal level.

"Villa will always have a place in my heart."

The Verdict

This is the reality for Villa after failure to win promotion on Saturday and everyone connected to the club knew this would happen.

They simply can't afford to keep Terry and there will have to be a lot more players shifted in the coming weeks.

Terry enjoyed a fine season and you can see from this message that he really did enjoy his time in the West Midlands.

Thoughts, Villa fans? Let us know in the comments below.