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Joe Cole is coming home to Chelsea after being gone for nearly a decade.
In January he’ll join the coaching staff at Cobham. He announced his retirement just last month and he already has his UEFA A license, which permits him to coach players up to the age of 18 as well the the reserve team and, if he wants to, in the Championship. It’s one step below a Pro license, which he’d need to coach the senior team.
Joe Cole to take up coaching role at the Chelsea academy | @SamWallaceTel reports https://t.co/XX2Dj6PUr5
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) December 27, 2018
The Telegraph reports that for the rest of this season he’ll rotate between the youth teams, before being assigned to one next season.
This isn’t the first time Cole has been with the youth players. He came by to train and observe in December of 2017 and has stayed in touch with the club, as so many former players do (which continues to be a credit to the club and the current ownership and management).
Joe Cole last played for Chelsea in 2010, for nineteen minutes in our 1-0 FA Cup final win over Portsmouth. For a nice summary of his Chelsea career, you should read David’s piece from November, when 37-year-old Cole finally hung up his boots.