Tammy Abraham has outlined the role former Chelsea defender John Terry played in his decision to join Aston Villa on loan this season.
Chelsea loaned Abraham to Villa last August and the striker has made a huge impact with the Championship club, scoring 26 goals to sit behind only Teemu Pukki in the goalscoring charts.
He is now preparing for a play-off final with Derby County and Abraham revealed how Terry, who spent last season playing for Villa before returning to be assistant coach to Dean Smith in October, persuaded him to join the club.
The 21-year-old told Sky Sports: "He was on the phone to me every day as soon as he heard the link.
"He told me it was such a good club and I would love it here.
"Even though he doesn't play my position he has always supported me and he has been a massive role model for me.”
Tyrone Mings, who joined Villa on loan from Bournemouth in January, has also been full of praise for the influence of Terry.
Mings said: "I'm always learning from him.
"He is a defender who a lot of people would have in their all-time Premier League XI, so the opportunity to work with him was a huge factor in me coming here.
"After every game we sit down and watch clips of my performance, assessing what I did well and what I can improve. The best defenders are the ones you don't always notice, keeping clean sheets and trying to remain under the radar, letting the strikers get all the adulation!
"He has been a huge help for me."
Mings is aware of the challenge facing Villa at Wembley after Derby overcame Leeds in a thrilling semi-final, but he is optimistic his side can handle their opponents.
"They are full of talent and you can't get to this stage of the season if you're not a good team," said Mings. "They have a lot of spirit and you have to be a threat to score four goals at Elland Road.
"They have a manager who is a winner and players in the dressing room who have won stuff before, but we feel we are in a good position to counter anything they can throw at us. It will be a great game of football for the neutral. But hopefully one we will deal with."
