Former England defender Ashley Cole announced his retired from football yesterday, ending a 20-year career that saw him win three Premier League titles with Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole, 38, spent part of last season playing for former Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard at Derby County in the second-division Championship.

"After hard thinking and consideration it was obviously time to hang my boots up and look towards my next chapter, which will hopefully be coaching," Cole said on Sky Sports.

"I'm doing a course at the moment so now I want to be great at being a coach." Cole came through the youth ranks at Arsenal before making a controversial switch to Chelsea in 2006. He totaled 556 appearances for the London clubs, also winning seven FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League, before moving on to spells at Roma, LA Galaxy and Derby.