Chelsea have announced that Joe Cole will return to the club in 2019 as a technical academy coach.
The 37-year-old, who spent seven seasons at Stamford Bridge, announced his retirement in November after spending three years with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the United Soccer League and indicated that he wanted to move into coaching.
Cole will now work across various age groups in the club’s academy while continuing with his coaching qualifications.
“Looking to the future, I want to stay involved in the game and I feel I can offer a lot as a coach. To lend my experience to help other young footballers achieve their dreams, just like I did, is a big passion of mine.”
Chelsea head of youth development Neil Bath said: “We are delighted Joe has agreed to return to Chelsea and coach in the Academy. It has always been our philosophy to have a number of ex-players involved in our coaching structure so they can pass on their unique experiences and what it means to play for Chelsea.
“Joe will work across a number of age groups and with various staff to ensure he gets to experience the full range of our programme. I’m sure sharing his experiences and football knowledge, combined with his obvious passion for the game, will help enormously with the development of our young players.”
