Birmingham City have confirmed that first team coach Ashley Cole will be joining the England senior set-up, following Lee Carsley’s promotion to interim manager. Cole, who has been working as Carsley’s assistant with the England under-21s, played a key role in their European Championships victory last summer. With Gareth Southgate’s departure, Carsley has been temporarily appointed as England manager, and Cole will be part of his coaching staff.
Carsley’s first games in charge will take place in September, with England facing the Republic of Ireland and Finland in Nations League fixtures. Many view this as an opportunity for Carsley to potentially secure the permanent role, much like Southgate did after being promoted from the under-21s in 2016.
Cole’s experience as a former England player, with 107 caps earned during a stellar Premier League career with Arsenal and Chelsea, will be invaluable to Carsley. Birmingham City released a brief statement confirming that Cole will continue his duties at the club while taking on his new role with the national team.
Cole was added to Birmingham’s coaching staff in October after Wayne Rooney’s appointment as manager. Despite Rooney’s sacking, Cole remained with the club under Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett last season. The new Blues boss, Chris Davies, has retained Cole as part of his coaching team, which also includes Ben Petty, Nathan Gardiner, and goalkeeping coach Maik Taylor.
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