Chelsea hero Ashley Cole says his move to Derby County is part of his plans to enter coaching.

The veteran left-back has joined until the end of the season.

He told the Mirror: “As an aspiring coach, I feel like I can help these young guys progress. I have the miles in my legs and in my brain to help these kids. I'm not the ­youngest any more, but it makes you ­remember how much you love this game, and it takes you back to the early days.

“You see the young kids and they run so much. They enjoy it, they stay out after training and work on their weaknesses, and it is what they need to do. I'm here to help, if need be to speak to them and to drill into them the ­understanding of what it means to put on a club shirt.

“They need to work hard and never let a day go by without learning something and always trying to improve.

“It is different playing in the youth teams to when you get into the first team. You get to understand what is means to fight every week – not just for the fans but a bigger cause. That's the ­mentality I have, and have had, throughout my career – I'm a fighter and that won't change."