'Things went a bit stale for a good few years but these are exciting times': Carlton Cole believes success of Declan Rice shows West Ham's famous 'Academy of Football' is recovering its former prestige

  • Carlton Cole was appointed technical coach at West Ham's academy last year
  • Former England striker looks set for coaching career after end of playing days
  • He believes the famous 'Academy of Football' is coming back to life again
  • The success of Declan Rice for club and country is a promising sign for Irons
  • Cole is relishing his chance to be a mentor for the next generation of talent 

Carlton Cole believes the impressive progress of Declan Rice shows West Ham's academy is starting to recover its prestige within the game.

The likes of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Trevor Brooking, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard have come through the youth ranks at the self-styled 'Academy of Football' since the 1960s.

And 20-year-old Rice, who came to West Ham after being released by Chelsea aged 14, has established himself as a first-team regular and an England international having switched allegiance from the Republic of Ireland.

Carlton Cole is relishing the chance to help nurture West Ham's academy talents and is encouraged by the success of England's Declan Rice

Carlton Cole is relishing the chance to help nurture West Ham's academy talents and is encouraged by the success of England's Declan Rice

Cole with West Ham's Grady Diangana (left), Declan Rice (second right) and Ryan Fredericks (right) in October last year

Cole with West Ham's Grady Diangana (left), Declan Rice (second right) and Ryan Fredericks (right) in October last year

Cole celebrates scoring for West Ham against Arsenal in the Premier League back in 2013

Cole celebrates scoring for West Ham against Arsenal in the Premier League back in 2013

Former England striker Cole, 35, linked up with West Ham's academy back in December as a technical coach and has been working with the under-18 team at the club's Chadwell Heath training ground, recently revamped for £4million.


'West Ham went a bit stale for a good few years,' said Cole. 'The last person to properly make it was Jack Collison or James Tomkins.

'Zavon Hinds did okay. Freddie Sears has gone and made a good career for himself elsewhere. After that it went stale. It is hard to make it in the Premier League.

'Now, you can see the likes of Declan Rice, Grady Diangana, and recently Ben Johnson who made a first team debut up at Manchester City, which was a very proud moment.

'We have a few good younger boys - Conor Coventry we're hoping to feed in soon. There is a lot going on at West Ham and these are exciting times with out new state of the art facilities down at Chadwell Heath.'

For now, it's the rapid rise of Rice that is most exciting everyone at West Ham. The defensive midfielder only made his debut on the last day of the 2016-17 season but has since made 71 appearances for the club.

Declan Rice celebrates after making his England debut in the recent Czech Republic match

Declan Rice celebrates after making his England debut in the recent Czech Republic match

England boss Gareth Southgate had no qualms about sending Rice into the international fray

England boss Gareth Southgate had no qualms about sending Rice into the international fray

This led to international recognition first by Ireland - for whom he qualified because his paternal grandparents hailed from County Cork - and then the country of his birth, England.

Rice looked right at home in Gareth Southgate's team during last month's European Championship qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.

'Declan is really good, he's very cultured,' said Cole. 'One thing I like about Declan is his temperament, he has had to fight for what he's got and to fight to the top.

'He didn't get accepted at Chelsea and he didn't get a contract there, so he came to West Ham and it wasn't for sure that he was going to become a professional there.

'He took it down to the wire, but when he got his pro contract, he got his head down and tried his best. And he has kept on growing in stature.

'Sometimes if you are not accepted somewhere, it is not the end of the world and he is a great example for young, aspiring footballers to look up to.

'If it doesn't happen at Chelsea or one of the big clubs, you can always go to a slightly lower club. I did the same thing [moved from Chelsea to West Ham aged 23].

West Ham are hopeful that academy starlet Grady Diangana will become a first team regular

West Ham are hopeful that academy starlet Grady Diangana will become a first team regular

Ben Johnson was handed his Premier League debut against Manchester City in February

Ben Johnson was handed his Premier League debut against Manchester City in February

'Good luck to him, he has taken it in his stride and he's gone on to make his England debut.'

Of course, Cole is under no illusions that Rice's success at West Ham will soon have some of the bigger clubs circling like vultures.

'I'd tell him to focus and concentrate and be somewhere where you're not a number but you're prized and you're the main man,' said Cole.

'You'll get your chance at the big clubs if you're still doing it down the line. He's only 20. If he's doing it at 24 with a load of international caps under his belt then the club won't hesitate if a big offer comes in.

'But it is premature at the moment and he is sensible enough to take that on board.'

Cole readily admits he never saw himself as coach or manager material but after his playing career fizzled out with brief, injury-ravaged spells at Celtic in Scotland, Sacramento Republic in the United States and Persib Bandung in Indonesia, he was become hooked.

He is working through his coaching badges and gaining day-to-day experience mentoring West Ham's next generation.

Such is his enthusiasm for bringing on young players, Cole is spending his week off running a Football Escapes Soccer Camp for kids at The Campus, a world class sports training facility at Quinta do Lago on the Algarve.

Cole leads the Football Escapes junior soccer camp in Quinta do Lago, Portugal last week

Cole leads the Football Escapes junior soccer camp in Quinta do Lago, Portugal last week

The former England striker shows the kids how it's done during a shooting practice

The former England striker shows the kids how it's done during a shooting practice 

He wears a beaming smile after trotting off the pitch having taken a two-hour session of shooting practice and small-sided games under sunny Portuguese skies.

But Cole knows he will need to break down barriers if he does enter the world of coaching after suggesting there is a 'stigma' about appointing black coaches.

'There is still a stigma about appointing black managers, there is no doubt about it, but we have to try and find a way around that,' Cole said.

'To be honest, I didn't think about the colour of my skin when I decided to get into coaching, but now that I am doing it, I appreciate that there are not many black role models in the kind of coaching position I'm in.

'When I was at Chelsea, we had Ruud Gullit in charge and he was a legend of the game. We saw Paul Ince go to Blackburn and John Barnes getting a brief chance at Celtic.

'But no black manager has really nailed it in a managerial role and that's an issue for guys trying to get into the game because there are some excellent black coaches out there.

'Darren Moore's sacking at West Brom baffled everyone. He got them into a good position and was fired without a proper reason.

'When I get into coaching, I need to attack it properly.'

 

Carlton Cole was speaking at The Campus, Quinta do Lago in Portugal, where he has been hosting junior football training camps through Football Escapes. For more information and to book places visit: https://www.quintadolago.com/en/the-campus/soccer-camps/ 

Carlton Cole was speaking will hosting a junior soccer camp at The Campus in Quinta do Lago

Carlton Cole was speaking will hosting a junior soccer camp at The Campus in Quinta do Lago

The Campus is a world class sports and fitness facility in Quinta do Lago, Portugal

The Campus is a world class sports and fitness facility in Quinta do Lago, Portugal

One of the state of the art gymnasiums used by athletes and sports teams at The Campus

One of the state of the art gymnasiums used by athletes and sports teams at The Campus

The outdoor swimming pool at The Campus, located in Portugal's sunny Algarve region

The outdoor swimming pool at The Campus, located in Portugal's sunny Algarve region

 

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