Chris Davies confirms Ashley Cole talks and adds Birmingham City favourite to coaching staff
Chris Davies expects Ashley Cole to leave Birmingham City – and ex-Blues full-back Jonathan Grounds has effectively replaced him on the first team coaching staff.
Premier League great Cole, 43, has stepped up to the senior England set-up with Lee Carsley having assisted the Brummie boss at under-21 level. Cole was on England’s bench for their victories over Ireland and Finland during this international window.
Stories surfaced overnight that Cole would be leaving Blues to take up a senior coaching position at The FA. Cole joined the club alongside ex-England teammate Wayne Rooney 11 months ago and survived to work under another three Blues managers including current boss Davies.
Davies told BirminghamLive: “I can’t confirm it definitely because we’re in talks still with The FA but it looks like that will happen. There’s nothing concrete on that. In the time I’ve been here he’s been an excellent first team coach and everything else. We will see what direction that takes in the next few days but we obviously wish him well.”
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Blues haven’t rushed out to find a replacement for Cole, instead opting to promote Grounds to work alongside Davies, assistant Ben Petty and first team coach Nathan Gardiner. Grounds recently re-joined Blues as a coach of the under-16s before quickly moving up to under-21 level. The 36-year-old spent six years playing for Blues and only retired from professional football last year.
“Jonathan Grounds is with us at the moment to be a link between the academy and the first team,” Davies added. “That has been good. He’s got some great experience of the club and can offer some good insight.
“It may be that in time we add more to it. What’s important to me is, a bit like the players, I want to make sure we’ve got the right characters around that can all offer and add value so that we don’t have too much going on.
“Over time, we will look to bring in more coaching support, but for now we’re good."