Ashley Cole is determined to be a manager — the first question that springs to mind is: “Why?”Few footballers have come under as much negative scrutiny than Cole. He featured regularly on the front, as well as the back, of English newspapers during his 20-year career at senior level (1999-2019). He won 13 major trophies with Arsenal and Chelsea, is universally regarded as one of the greatest to play in his position at left-back and won an impressive 107 caps with England.Cole was obviously very handsomely rewarded financially for all his achievements. It means he could just lead a very nice life away from the spotlight and not have to face media or public criticism ever again. Instead, he wants to make it as a coach, despite all the potential adversity that comes with it.“I just love the game, I have done since the age of seven,” Cole explains to The Athletic. “I have a real thick skin, I know what comes with the job, the challenges it poses. I know you are only as good as the results, but I also know my skill set, how good I am and can be. I try to have real faith in my ability. But I am not naive. Just because I had a playing career, I will not be given everything and think that I know everything.“In terms of being back in the firing line, I have had it quite a lot in my career anyway. I am not going to give up on being a manager because of that. It is my passion, my love, my drive. I want to give back to the sport that has given me a lot.”In March, Cole was given his first managerial post by Cesena, who play in the second tier of Italian football (Serie B). He has had to work hard and be patient to get it. After retiring, former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo gave him the chance to do some scouting reports for his old club and then coach their under-15s. The 45-year-old has gone on to be an assistant at Derby, Everton and Birmingham City, but perhaps most notably England Under-21s and the senior national team. This included being part of head coach Lee Carsley’s staff as the under-21s won the European Championship last summer. Cole was getting ready to help them in the forthcoming European Championship qualifiers when Cesena made contact about the position.Cole sought advice from Lee Carsley (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)“I probably spoke to Lee the most about whether I should take the opportunity or stay with England,” Cole reveals. “It was a big decision to make in terms of, ‘Do I leave a group of players that I know and are heading towards trying to qualify for another European Championship? Or, do I take that leap of faith, to see if I can implement my style, my work, connect with foreign players and get to see how far I can take a club?’“It was something I could not turn down.“I went there alone, with none of my own staff at the start. It was not a case of learning a new language, I can understand most of it (Cole played for Roma 2014-16 and his wife, Sharon Canu, is Italian). In terms of speaking it, I am a little bit shy sometimes, but you have to put that shyness away. You have to make sure the players understand what you are asking them to do. It was a big challenge to take on, but something I was not afraid of. I jumped two-footed into the puddle, as it were.”Cesena were eighth at the time and had not won in their previous seven league games. Finishing between third and eighth secures a play-off place for promotion to Serie A, and that was a big target. They were still in with a chance until the final fixture but, after losing 4-3 at home to Padova, they dropped to 11th and missed out by three points. Inevitably, Cole had to face some tough questions from the Italian media afterwards over why he had fallen short. A return of one win and six points was never going to be enough.