Ashley Cole is in line for his first managerial role as clubs chase the former Arsenal and Chelsea star

Cole, capped 107 times for England, has already cut his teeth working in Chelsea’s academy through all age groups. He remains well thought of there by Blues players, staff and even parents. He also coached the Everton and Chelsea first teams alongside Frank Lampard.

Cole was brought to Birmingham last October to work with then manager Wayne Rooney. But Rooney was sacked in January after just 15 games and 83 days. Many expected Cole to take the reins at that point.

But Birmingham handed the job to veteran Tony Mowbray before bringing in Gary Rowett when Mowbray, 60, took leave in March. Cole won two Premier League titles with Arsenal and another with Chelsea. He made 385 appearances in the first division and was a winner in 62% of the games he played.

He contributed to 147 clean sheets, scored 15 goals and provided 31 assists, underscoring his class and quality at both ends of the pitch. Cole was part of Arsenal’s Invincible side that went unbeaten throughout the 2003-04 season. He received an outpouring of tributes following his induction into the Hall Of Fame last month.

Former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: “He’s got character, he’s a fighter. Today he is a coach. I didn’t necessarily expect that from him, but the vibes I got from people is that he’s a really good coach and that sums him up.”

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