John Terry: 'Aston Villa put in two very good performances in playoffs'

Aston Villa defender John Terry has praised his teammates for putting in "two very good performances" in their Championship playoff semi-final triumph over Middlesbrough.

The West Midlanders secured a 1-0 victory in the first leg at the Riverside Stadium before playing out a stalemate at Villa Park for a place in the final.

As well as paying tribute to his fellow players, Terry lauded manager Steve Bruce for his tactical nous and looked ahead to "the dream" of being back in the Premier League.

"It was two very good performances," the former Chelsea and England captain told Sky Sports News.

"The boys were different class. It was important we didn't concede. Another clean sheet is very good.

"The gameplan was superb so the manager deserves a lot of credit for that.

"There's a great team spirit among the boys. One more step and it'll be the dream."

The Championship playoff final will take place at Wembley Stadium on May 26, with Villa taking on Fulham for the right to return to the top flight.