England legend John Terry is poised to take the next step in his football journey by moving into club ownership. Recent speculation suggests he may be set to acquire a share of Colchester United and the former centre-back is unlikely to be short of funds. According to The Sun, Chelsea icon Terry is part of a consortium spearheading a £14million bid for control of the League Two club. It remains unclear precisely what percentage Terry will personally be responsible for. However, a glittering career has provided him with the means to develop his involvement in the sport where he made his name.

The Us currently sit in mid-table in League Two and are hoping to bring an end to a decade spent in England's fourth tier. With that in mind, Terry could offer the kind of influence required to finally push their promotion ambitions over the line. Beyond any financial contribution, the Stamford Bridge favourite will have a wealth of knowledge and guidance to share with the squad. We've taken a closer look at Terry's background, examining how he has accumulated his fortune as he looks to take his first steps as a club owner.

Widely considered one of the finest centre-backs in football history, Terry's illustrious career brought him five Premier League titles, six FA Cups, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League. The Englishman was also England's highest-paid player at one stage during his career, though his peak wages of approximately £150,000 per week appear modest compared to modern standards.

Those hefty wages helped establish the foundation for an exceptionally profitable career spent almost entirely in the Premier League. Terry's sole season outside the top flight came with Aston Villa in the Championship, immediately before his retirement in 2018.

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He has also undertaken coaching roles in various capacities with the likes of Villa, Leicester City and Chelsea. Yet, it's his playing years and external business ventures - rather than income from coaching - which acts as the basis for the lion's share of his estimated net worth of roughly £40m.

If those estimates prove accurate, it demonstrates precisely what sort of impact Terry can deliver for Colchester. And it also creates the possibility for him to potentially acquire a greater shareholding in the club further down the line.

Terry has also generated substantial funds for charity during his time in the game. The 45-year-old has even auctioned off substantial amounts of his own memorabilia and sporting items in order to stimulate some considerable donations.

This includes a match-worn Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United jersey, which was sold for approximately £84,000, as well as trophies and shin pads. The highest seller of them all was a Lionel Messi shirt worn by the Argentine when Barcelona defeated Chelsea 1-0 in a Champions League group-stage encounter in 2006.

That commanded an eye-watering £133,000, all of which was donated to the John Terry Foundation. Overall, the collective sale of Terry's hard-won memorabilia raised around £500,000.

It's worth highlighting that these specific proceeds were directed to charity and won't have been received by Terry personally, though.

Having maintained close ties with football since stepping away from the playing side, it appeared inevitable that Terry would return, even if the manner of his return was never set in stone. Ultimately, a stake in Colchester could prove to be the first step but not the last.

Terry, who won 78 caps for England, purportedly could not wait for the takeover announcement to be revealed publicly. And that indicates he'll be keen to commence his responsibilities in a boardroom role as soon as the deal is finalised.

It's anticipated Terry will wield considerable influence on the day-to-day operations. And with good justification, too, given his nephew, Frankie, is registered there and recently returned from a loan spell at Braintree Town.