Daily Mirror - 19.08.2019

DM1ST

mirror.co.uk/sport MONDAY 19.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR^49

BY JOHN CROSS

ENGLAND legend

Ashley Cole has

announced his retirement after

an “incredible” career.

Former Chelsea full-back Cole,

38, said he was quitting as a

player live on Sky and that he

wanted to move into coaching

rather than TV punditry.

Cole has already begun his FA

coaching badges and got the bug

after moving to Derby last season

and playing under former Chelsea

team-mate Frank Lampard.

Cole, who won 107 caps for

England and was part of the

‘Golden Generation’, said: “After

hard consideration, it’s time to

hang my boots up and look

towards my next chapter, which

will hopefully be coaching.”

Asked to sum up his career

which began when he made his

debut for Arsenal in a League

Cup tie in 1999, Cole said:

“Incredible. As a young kid, I

never expected to play one game

or be a professional.

“Looking back, to be able to

say I played in World Cups,

Champions League finals, being

lucky enough to lift Premier

League titles. I fulfilled my dream.

“And now I look to the future,

hopefully as a great coach. I look

back and think, ‘I played for my

country over 100 times’.

“I’m proud of that and it’s just a

little bit disappointing I didn’t get

to a final, or even a semi-final,

with England.”

Cole established himself as the

best left-back in the world during

his time with England and

enjoyed some memorable battles

with Cristiano Ronaldo in Euro

2004 and the World Cup two

years later but Portugal won both

games on penalties.

He did have a controversial

side to his career – nicknamed

‘Cashley’ over a contract dispute

when he left Arsenal for Chelsea

in 2006 – but went on to enjoy

Premier League title success and

winning the Champions League.

Despite the controversies, Cole

must go down as one of England’s

all time greats and now he is set

to follow the likes of Lampard,

Steven Gerrard, John Terry and

Wayne Rooney in getting into

coaching and management.

COLE CALLS

TIME ON HIS

INCREDIBLE

CAREER

PREMIER LEAGUE

STAMFORD BRIDGE

JOB DONE Ashley Cole has retired

tiring after the exhausting midweek

trip to Istanbul.

Do not bet against the Foxes

finishing in the top six. Maddison

looks one hell of a player, Youri

Tielemans was influential, Jamie

Vardy was a menace, and Ndidi

looked intent on making amends

for his first-half howler.

Sure enough, the equaliser came

after 67 minutes. Maddison’s corner

picked out Ndidi at the near post

and the Leicester midfielder

powered home a header (below).

Leicester’s pace and movement

was too much for Chelsea.

Substitute Dennis Praet

combined with Fuchs to set up

Maddison but he blazed over when

it seemed easier to score.

Shortly afterwards, Maddison set

up former England striker Vardy,

who dragged his shot wide.

Leicester looked dangerous with

every attack. Chelsea kept going but

the frailties and lack of depth in the

squad was there for all to see.

Lampard was not able to change

it from the bench, and they were

grateful for the final whistle.

Lampard said at his unveiling

that the euphoria surrounding his

return as manager would “last five

minutes”.

He will get longer than that. But

he knows he needs a win at

Norwich next Saturday.

must tighten up his defence to

stand any chance of getting into the

top four this season.

Leicester were as good in the

second half as Chelsea in the first.

James Maddison’s pace and move-

ment caused all sorts of problems

and the Leicester No.10 missed a

gilt-edged chance to win it.

Chelsea legend Lampard got a

fabulous reception before kick-off

(above) and maybe the feel-good

factor was the reason they

completely swept Leicester aside in

the first half.

Pedro hit the side-netting and

Christian Pulisic was denied by

Leicester goalkeeper Kasper

Schmeichel as Chelsea started at a

hundred miles an hour.

It took the Blues just seven

minutes to go ahead thanks to

a terrible mistake in the

Leicester defence. From a

Jonny Evans pass, Wilfred

Ndidi got caught in posses-

sion by Mount (above), who

strode forward and rifled a

shot into the far corner.

Mount could have scored

again, and N’Golo Kante

would have scored but for a

brilliant last-ditch tackle by

Christian Fuchs, as Chelsea

tried to double their advan-

tage. But after the break it was

all Leicester, Chelsea perhaps

IT started with flags and a

hero’s homecoming. But it

ended with Chelsea escaping

with a point as Frank Lampard

discovered that fairy-tales are

few and far between in the harsh

reality of Premier League

management.

It is now three games and no wins

for Lampard and, as bright as

Chelsea started, it was Leicester

who could, and probably should,

have won it in the second half.

Lampard’s first three games in

charge – a thrashing at Old Trafford,

a Super Cup defeat on penalties by

Liverpool, and now a frustrating

draw with Leicester – have all

shown promising signs.

This time Mason Mount was the

big plus as he scored on his first

start at Stamford Bridge to be-

come the first English player

to score under an English

manager for Chelsea since

Dennis Wise in 1996.

But the negatives were

also there for all to see.

Chelsea looked vul-

nerable on the break

and Lampard will

know that he

“In those opening periods

he could have scored two

more goals. He will get

better and better. He is

only 20 and there’ll be big

moments for him moving

forward. I know he’ll be

disappointed his goal

wasn’t part of a win.”

goalscorer Mount (below,

and with Olivier Giroud,

left). “The epitome

of his talents is the

goal. Great off the

ball, energy to

chase people down,

and the quality to

finish it,” said Lampard.

manage the team at

Stamford Bridge but my

focus today was on

trying to win. I’m

here to do a job –

here to try to win for

this club, and we can

do better.”

Lampard paid tribute to

NO BETTER BLUES SAYS FRANK

lessons from today. We’ll

enjoy watching the first 25

minutes but the rest won’t

be enjoyable. But we have

to watch it because we

have to learn from it.

“It was obviously a

special moment for me to

anad w

le

o

g

b

c

and

my

min

a L J N s s s a w

br

Ch

trie

tage

all L

shown promising signs.

This time Mason Mount was the

big plus as he scored on his first

start at Stamford Bridge to be-

come the first English player

to score under an English

manager for Chelsea since

Dennis Wise in 1 99 6.

But the negatives were

also there for all to see.

Chelsea looked vul-

nerable on the break

and Lampard will

know that he

REF: Oliver Langford AT T: 40,629

MATCH STATS

50% POSSESSION 50%
5 SHOTS ON TARGET^3
7 SHOTS OFF TARGET^7
4 CORNERS^5
3 OFFSIDE^3
9 FOULS^14
1 0 CARDS 0 0

BY JOHN CROSS

Chief Football Writer

@johncrossmirror

FROM BACK PAGE