Ashley Cole has stepped down from his post as England Under-21 coach after five years.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal left-back was part of Lee Carsley’s backroom staff that led the team to back-to-back European Under-21 titles.
Carsley said the 45-year-old, who ended his playing career in 2019 before moving into coaching, had a positive, inspiring effect on the squad.
He paid tribute to Cole’s influence on both Euro triumphs and the current campaign, highlighting his tactical and technical expertise, and expressed confidence that Cole will continue to succeed in coaching.
After earning his coaching badges at Derby County under Frank Lampard, Cole worked in Chelsea’s academy and later assisted at Everton, Birmingham City under Wayne Rooney, and with the senior England team during Carsley’s interim spell in 2024.
Cole became head coach of Serie B side Cesena in March after feeling “discouraged” about his prospects of landing a managerial role in the English game.
He left the job in June following discussions with the sporting director about a “change in the club’s strategy”.
As a player, Cole earned 107 caps for England and won multiple trophies with Arsenal and Chelsea, including three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, seven FA Cups and one League Cup.