Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterAshley Cole won 107 caps for England as a player now, hes become a manager for the very first time after taking charge of Italian club Cesena.The 45-year-old had time in Italy as a player with Roma, and has spent several years coaching with Derby, Everton, Birmingham and the FA since his retirement in 2019 helping Englands under 21s win two consecutive Euros, also having a stint with the senior side during Lee Carsleys spell as interim boss.Hes agreed to take the helm at Cesena until the end of the season the Serie B side are currently eighth in the table, with an outside chance of promotion to the top flight.Article continues below You may like 'I was in London having lunch, and decided to ring The FA, I asked "Is Sven Goran-Eriksson there? Can I come and see him?"' Joe Cole on the random afternoon when he confronted the England manager in his office and asked for more international game time I remember him reading a lot and watching videos of old matches Curtis Davies on working behind the scenes with Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior 'Ive seen whats been written - I'm not arrogant, I'm good at what I do' New Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior shows his Jose Mourinho side in first official press conference Why the timing is right for Ashley Cole to become a managerFourFourTwo recently visited Ashley Cole and his former Chelsea and England team-mate Joe Cole at the recording of their podcast Could It Be Magic?.Ashley confirmed then that he was ready to become a manager in his own right, and that has now come to fruition.Discussing his time as a coach with England, he said: Its been great, Ive been working now for five years, its been a great learning journey for me to develop and get to where Ive got.The FA have definitely been a big part of that and Lee Carsley has been amazing for me, a mentor, who really gave me a lot of responsibility to go to the next level. Weve been successful, weve won two Euros back to back and its gone really well.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The seniors was a great opportunity as well to go up and work with them, to be around top players again, and we got a good response from them.Cole also worked in Chelseas academy early on, as he gained vital experience. Asked if the last few years as a coach had given him the desire to become a manager in his own right soon, he said: Yeah, for sure. I think Ive done my development, if you want to call it my scholarship of being a coach.Ive been doing it for maybe seven years now, from when I worked with younger players to find my voice and find myself as a coach.Now certainly six or seven years down the line, I think Im ready to lead a group. I have belief in myself.There will be more from Ashley and Joe Cole in FourFourTwo soon.Could It Be Magic? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole, brought to you by Carling, the official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Womens FA Cup. You can watch the show on YouTube and Spotify or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.TOPICSAshley ColeCesenaEnglandSerie BChris FlanaganSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff WriterChris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
