Image: Ashley Cole will take charge of Chelsea U15s after completing his coaching badges

Ashley Cole has joined former team-mate Frank Lampard in Chelsea's coaching staff, where he will be working with the U15s.

Cole announced his retirement from professional football in September at the age of 38 following a successful 20-year playing career.

The three-time Premier League champion has taken a role in Chelsea's youth academy as U15s coach and he will be looking to bring the next crop of youngsters through to Lampard's first team.

In his first interview since taking the role, Cole said: "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."

Cole spent the majority of his career at Arsenal and Chelsea before finishing with spells at LA Galaxy, Roma and Derby County.


Image: Cole alongside Chelsea's Fikayo Tomori during his last professional game - Derby's play-off final defeat

The Champions League winner played under many decorated managers and he hopes to adopt some of their attributes into his own coaching style.

Cole added: "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. I understood as a player what it took to be the best and now it's about trying to transfer that into how I can be the best as a coach."