Chelsea legend Ashley Cole claims coaching Harry Kane and Cole Palmer in England setup left him questioning his self worth

Cole left his position with Birmingham City last month to focus solely on his role with the England squad having initially joined the national team setup on a part-time basis in 2021. Cole was brought in to support Carsley and was part of the management team that lifted the U21 European Championship in Georgia in 2023.

However, Cole was briefly promoted to the senior squad prior to Thomas Tuchel's appointment after Gareth Southgate left the England head coach role following their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain last summer. It was with the men's side that Cole worked alongside Carsley to help coach the likes of Kane, Palmer and Bukayo Saka among others.

During his time with the senior squad, though, Cole has confessed that he questioned whether he was worthy of coaching the world class trio. Indeed, the 44-year-old was aware that many of the players he works with are coached by elite managers that made him anxious about whether he was in a position to tell them how to play.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Cole stated: "Even when you are talking to Under-21s you are still talking to players who are coached by Pep Guardiola, and all these top managers, so you do have to find some confidence and authenticity. You can shrink.

"There were times I was thinking, ‘I am telling Cole Palmer that’s not good enough but Pep allows him to do it’. It’s that connection and finding that relationship with the players."

Cole, however, added that his greatest thrill was seeing these talents carrying out his instructions, adding: "They have been coached by top managers. Now I am saying to them, ‘That is not enough, you’ve got to do this’. And they were amazing towards me. They were trying to work me out - do I know what I am talking about?

"Everything I spoke to them about in the team meetings I saw on the pitch. I’m telling Harry Maguire to do this and I’m telling Harry Kane to do that. To see it (on the pitch) was amazing for my confidence."

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Cole also added he has matured since his time as a player. The former England international routinely made headlines for his antics off the pitch, admitting that he acted like 'an idiot at times', stating: "I am not saying what I did was right. I acted like an idiot at times but I was a kid.

"We have all made mistakes and 20 years down the line we are telling our kids, ‘Don’t do that’. It really made me understand life, people, respect, in a different way. I have come out of that bubble. I have just matured. My drive is something different."

Additionally, Cole claims he now wishes to be remembered better as a coach rather than a player, adding: “I want people now to say, 'Ashley Cole, the coach’. Not, ‘Ashley Cole, the footballer’. It has been quite hard but I think I have done enough on the training pitch.

"Ashley Cole the player is done. But Ashley Cole the coach, he is doing alright, or whatever it looks like."

Cole is expected to be part of the England coaching staff in North America for the World Cup next summer. The Three Lions learned their 2026 fate last week having been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Panama and Ghana.

England kick off their World Cup campaign with a game against Croatia on 17 June, before they take on Ghana on 23 June. Thomas Tuchel's men then round off the group stages against Panama on 27 June.