My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s look behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. This week we speak to new Cesena manager and legendary England, Chelsea and Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole about his life growing up, his coaching ambitions and his memories of the Invincibles.
Life wasn’t easy growing up
I’m from Bow. We didn’t have grass pitches, it was concrete cages. I grew up with Ledley King, literally across the road from me, Jlloyd Samuel, rest his soul. and I hung around with them boys. We used to muck around and laugh about in the cage that one day we would play against each other or play for England together – and me and Ledley did that.
Growing up in where I did, it creates a character. Life wasn’t easy, single parent family, the house was full of love but the minute you walk out your door, it is a kind of dog-eat-dog world. You couldn’t be seen as weak and fragile and it did build some character and resilience in me. I’ll never begrudge that kind of upbringing but it was a tough place to grow up and a tough place to live – but it seems to find these diamonds in the rough that produces talented Premier League players.
I used to say some trophies were my ‘favourite’ just to piss people off
I’ve grown a lot so I really can’t pick one. Because there was my first trophy for Arsenal, my boyhood club, I supported them and my dream was to play for them. Then you win your first title, something I never ever dreamed of. Then the Champions League, that was iconic to me growing up. Then to be the record-holder of FA Cups. I’m lucky I can say that – I don’t want to be big-headed, but is it the FA Cup, Champions League, Premier League? I’m grateful for the career I had.
Cole with the 2005 FA Cup (Photo: Getty)The best player I played with
Thierry Henry. I’m not saying it lightly. I came into an Arsenal team that was full of stars, but some of the stuff I saw on the training pitch with him was just incredible. Not just the amazing player he was, but as a great person – that counts for a lot. I’ve been lucky to play with Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, David Seaman. They did a lot for me. Tony Adams, Martin Keown also added to that character that I had from my upbringing – when I played for Arsenal I needed people like that to lead me.
Arsene Wenger would let me make mistakes
I don’t think I would have played under any other manager in the Premier League, I was 18, 19, making a lot of mistakes in games but he continued to select me. I don’t know if another manager would have had that belief in me. Then I went to Jose Mourinho, and he gave me a different dynamic and feeling in football, he really got my hunger back and a more tactical understanding, which I think has developed me now into a different type of coach. Carlo Ancelotti was great for me too – there was a lot of stuff off the field going on and he really made me feel safe and secure. I thought I played my best football under him.
I’m still in the Invincibles group chat
We’re all in a WhatsApp group with David Dein, Mr Wenger, all the players. I meet Thierry not a lot, but we’re always talking about football. I’ve had my own life and our family so I don’t get much time to interact with them but there were moments in my life when I needed them.
What I’ll be like as a manager
I’m a hybrid of old school but understanding the new generation and understanding the person before the player. I take that from Carlo [Ancelotti], he wanted to know how I was feeling as a person before he selected me and expected me to perform. I still want to develop the person, develop the player, and make players that are capable and have belief they can win.
Cole won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 (Photo: Getty)I’m always authentic. I don’t think I can change – I’m a boy from east London, didn’t have a great education but I have lived a lot. It’s just trying to gain the respect and belief from players that I know what I’m doing by my experiences and the detail of the way I coach. I have the ability to mould myself into different kinds of people.
I’m ready to be a No 1 now
I did seven years of apprenticeship. I went to the under-15s at Chelsea and tried to understand my strengths, what are my weaknesses as a coach? Am I affecting and influencing players enough where I can give back to the sport? I’ve worked at Chelsea, Everton, England U21s for five years, worked with the senior team. I feel I’ve done enough groundwork.
I wouldn’t change anything about my career
Whatever club I played for, I wore the badge and played my heart out. Not anyone’s life is perfect, the decisions I made to go left or right, things happen. Shit happens. Looking back, I’m very happily looking in the mirror.
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