Ashley Cole shows exactly why Lee Carsley hired him with epic speech to England squad

Ashley Cole gave a rousing speech in front of the entire squad as the England assistant manager officially welcomed the newly-capped players to the national team setup.

The former England defender was appointed as an assistant to Lee Carlsey, who took the job on an interim basis following Gareth Southgate’s departure.

Despite being just two weeks into the role, Cole is already a popular figure with a number of the squad’s younger players having worked with them in the Under-21s.

A video uploaded to England’s X account showed the 43-year-old handing out England ‘legacy caps’, which were designed to give the Three Lions stars a token for their part in English international football heritage.

And when dishing out the commemorative headwear to Morgan Gibbs-White, who made his debut against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, the Chelsea icon delivered a special message to the Nottingham Forest man.

“I think I had 107 caps and, it was only until I retired, until I actually understood and valued it,” Cole said, addressing Gibbs-White. “I don’t think it’s for you, it’s for your kids, your future. It’s something to be proud of.

“We all have a story, we all have a journey in our career and people probably don’t understand the sacrifice you make, to make it as a little kid, playing where you were brought up on the streets, the friends you grew up with.

“So it’s something you can’t take lightly. You understand you’ve worked really hard for this and I hope you cherish it. Hopefully, there’s many more to come and one day you’ll get a gold one.”

The speech drew applause from the squad as Gibbs-White got up from his seat to embrace Cole and claim his cap. His team-mates then chanted: “Speech, speech!”, and Gibbs-White obliged.

The 24-year-old said: “Thank you all for making me feel so welcome, I’ve had a good time so far and hopefully, we can go out there Tuesday and get the win.”

But Cole wasn’t done there, as he saved some heartwarming words for ex-Manchester United playmaker Gomes, who now plies his trade in France with Lille.

Gomes left the Red Devils in 2020 in search of a new challenge and played on loan with Boavista in Portugal before becoming a regular for the Ligue 1’s side, and Cole admitted he was personally invested in his journey.

“This one is for someone special, I think, with Angel Gomes not playing in this country,” Cole added. “In the three or four years I’ve got to know you, you are an amazing person.

“Again, your story is so different to everyone else’s. And if there’s one player, if you don’t mind me saying, I really hoped would get this cap, [it] is you [Angel Gomes].”