John Terry should look and learn from Ashley Cole's coaching journey
Just because John Terry is a Chelsea legend doesn’t entitle him to consideration for the caretaker’s job during one of the club’s occasional periods between head coaches. Terry talked last year of appreciating having some balance in his life, enjoying the opportunity to play more golf and now voices his “frustration” about football not showering him with job offers - comments made on the Golf Life YouTube channel. There are ways of building a coaching career, and this isn’t one of them.
John Terry’s problem is not with John Terry the coach but with John Terry the person. He lacks self-awareness. Jobs aren’t simply handed out on basis of playing pedigree. They have to be worked for. Terry does mention the need to the “hard work” to become a head coach but he’s on a golf course when saying it. Terry needs to follow the coaching example and journey of his former Chelsea team-mate, Ashley Cole. He’s quietly built an acclaimed body of work as a coach.
Since his illustrious playing career ended in 2019, Cole has learned his coaching trade at Derby County, in Chelsea’s academy, assisting England Under-21s, Everton, Birmingham City, England seniors (during Lee Carsley’s caretaker stint) and now with the FA full-time, including Carsley’s trophy-winning Under-21s. I’ve watched Cole take training sessions, arriving early to lay out the balls, bibs and cones, all in order, all to plan, and then work with the head coach, whether Frank Lampard early on or increasingly and successfully with Carsley.
I’ve spoken to defenders from Levi Colwill to Tino Livramento who enthuse about Cole’s coaching and advice. Cole is assembling a serious coaching CV, reflecting the dedication to application that shaped his playing career. Lampard is another from Chelsea’s greatest era to have built a coaching career, and in Lampard’s case shown a capacity for management. Whether Cole has the upfront personality or desire for the main job remains a matter for debate. But Cole has a coaching resume and reputation that will bring interviews. Terry doesn’t.