AFTER two trophy-laden decades playing at the highest level, John Terry may no longer be hitting the heights his career has become accustomed to, but his trademark passion and hunger remains the same after his one-year dip into the Championship.

Now, if Middlesbrough are to secure a second Wembley appearance in three years and a return to the Premier League this summer, finding a way to break down a defence marshalled so effectively by the former England skipper will determine the outcome of this intriguing play-off semi-final.

That was something Boro failed to do at the Riverside, when the impact of Terry on a Villa side which spent the vast majority of the evening frustrating Tony Pulis’ side was telling.

Yes, Alan Hutton turned in an exceptional display to keep Adama Traore at bay; yes, the precocious Jack Grealish turned in a performance belying his 22 years; and, yes, a decent enough Middlesbrough huffed and puffed without being able to hit the net.

But one of the most telling aspects of Villa’s display was how Terry, and his 37 years, could be seen doing what he has done season after season wearing the Chelsea blue and an England shirt.

The way he orchestrated things at the heart of the Villa defence, dragging his team-mates into position and talking his way through 90 minutes, showed his desire has never waned.

In the build up to the play-offs, Middlesbrough’s experience of such duels has been well-documented – and there is every chance it will come into play even more so when the return leg is played out in front of a sell-out Villa Park tomorrow night.

Anyone of a Teesside persuasion will certainly hope so.

But Steve Bruce, who has celebrated promotion to the Premier League more times (four) than any other manager, knew exactly what he was doing when he convinced Villa owner Tony Xia to invest so heavily in Terry, reportedly to the tune of £4m for the year.

Bruce said: “Too many people couldn’t handle the expectation when I arrived. I wanted to get experienced players through the door, people who had played at the top level, because when you are in a play-off semi-final, you want players who are used to the big occasions.”

Whether it was Terry and his mouth at the back, Hutton and his 34 years frustrating Traore on whatever flank he popped up on, Aussie international Mile Jedinak heading in the winner, or even a Boro play-off finalist Albert Adomah on the wing, Villa clearly have that experience Bruce wanted.

Now Middlesbrough have to prove their own experience – and they have an abundance of players who have been involved in play-off and promotion battles – can conjure up a way to break down Terry and Co at Villa Park.

The performance, particularly second half, certainly suggests Middlesbrough have what it takes to be able to overturn the slender one-goal advantage.

That winner was only the result of some sloppy defending at a corner when Jedinak moved ahead of Ryan Shotton to head in.

Middlesbrough know how to score goals too, and on their travels.

They have scored in each of their last seven away games, more often than not by scoring once, so Bruce will know his Terry-led defence have to be just as effective again.

Britt Assombalonga and Fabio da Silva had the best of Middlesbrough’s chances to cancel out Jedinak’s opener in the first leg and those were without Traore finding top gear.

If the Spaniard, who often had three players trying to halt his progress, can make life more of a misery for Hutton, then there is still every chance Middlesbrough will be at Wembley.

For that to happen Traore, whose value is soaring, will need to show he has greater on-field intelligence; if there are three players around him, then pass to a man in space rather than head into a proverbial brick wall.

Terry and Bruce might feel they have got one foot in the Wembley door, but tomorrow could still be the night when Middlesbrough prove their own experience of the big, albeit Championship, occasion can get them over the line.