Ashley Cole re-signs for Chelsea as academy coach
Ashley Cole has returned to Chelsea in a coaching role taking charge of the club’s U15s. Considered to be one of the best players in the Premier League era, the full-back retired from football recently after a successful playing career where he won three Premier League titles among other trophies.
The former Arsenal youth starlet announced his retirement from professional football in September at the age of 38, calling an end to a successful 20-year playing career. A career that included spells at Arsenal, Chelsea, AS Roma, LA Galaxy before signing for Derby County earlier this year. However, now that he has called an end to his playing career Sky Sports has reported that Cole has taken a role in Chelsea’s youth academy as an U15s coach.
Sky Sports further added that Cole’s role will be to ensure that Chelsea’s youth stars are eventually good enough to play for the club’s first team. The 38-year-old went on to praise Chelsea for appointing him, Lampard and Jody Morris and believes that it’s the right way forward for the club.
"You have to be a top player to play for Chelsea so they want those top ex-players influencing and trying to help the next generation develop and be better players. Chelsea have been quick and probably one of the first clubs to really tap into that, not just with coaches but staff in the loans team and other departments, to bring them back to pass on their experience and expertise,” said Cole reports Sky Sports.
Cole spent a large majority of his career in the Premier League playing under some of the league’s best players, managers, and teams before leaving to play in Italy. While he did often struggle to adapt in the Serie A the 38-year-old did do relatively well at both La Galaxy and Derby County, playing under Lampard at the latter, before calling time on his career. The Champions League winner went on to admit that he hopes he create his own philosophy and will look to use what his former managers taught him.
"Everyone has their own philosophy but you also have to take ideas that you like from different coaches. The first thing I learned on my coaching badges was that every coach is a thief. I want to take parts of Jose Mourinho in terms of how organised he was.
“Carlo Ancelotti for his man-management and how he would give players faith to go out and express themselves within his system and Arsene Wenger, who was definitely a great man-manager and put a lot of trust in young players. I want to be the best. I've been around a lot of great players and managers so it's about understanding what it takes,” concluded the full-back.