Ashley Cole appointed as full-time coach for England: His journey
What's the story
The Football Association (FA) has appointed former England left-back Ashley Cole as a full-time national coach.
Cole, who previously assisted interim manager Lee Carsley with the senior England men's team, will now concentrate solely on the England men's player pathway.
The FA confirmed that he will continue to support Carsley through this transition.
Here we present further details.
Career progression
Cole's journey from part-time to full-time coach
Cole started as a part-time coach with the FA in July 2021, assisting Carsley with the men's under-21 team.
Their successful partnership helped the England football team win last year's U21 European Championship in Georgia.
Before his full-time appointment by the FA, Cole balanced his national duties with his position as first-team coach at Birmingham City.
Legacy
Cole's impressive career as a player
Cole has an impressive record as a player, having earned 107 caps for England between 2001 and 2014. He represented the Three Lions at five major tournaments during his career.
Alongside his international success, Cole won three Premier League titles and secured the 2012 Champions League with Chelsea.
In the Premier League, he has 384 appearances and has netted 15 goals, and has made 38 assists.
Overall, he has 701 club appearances scoring 21 goals and making 72 assists.
Twitter Post
Twitter Post
England legend @TheRealAC3 has joined The @FA as a full-time national coach 👊
— England (@England) September 14, 2024
Nations League
England have started well under Carsley
The Three Lions have won both their UEFA Nations League matches under Carsley.
Harry Kane netted two goals in their 2-0 win against Finland, while Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scored in the opening win against Republic Of Ireland in Dublin.
England are placed 2nd in League B Group 2 behind Greece. Both sides have won their opening two games.
Southgate
England saw Gareth Southgate resign after Euro 2024
England saw manager Gareth Southgate resign after the 2024 European Championship.
Southgate helped England reach a second successive Euro final as his side lost on both occasions.
He did a sound job for England across all competitions.
Under Southgate, England finished fourth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, runners-up at Euro 2020, quarter-finalists at 2022 World Cup and runners-up at Euro 2024. Southgate's overall record as England manager read: Played 102, won 61, drawn 24, lost 17, win ratio 59.8%.