Ashley Cole has been tipped to reunite with former Chelsea and England teammate Lampard at Championship high-flyers Derby County.
There are no shortage of left-backs contracted to Derby County. Unfortunately, however, many of them are either injured our out on loan.
Craig Forsyth could be ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, while speedy Swede Marcus Olsson is only likely to return from his own fitness problems in the New Year. Max Lowe, meanwhile, is out at Aberdeen, albeit making an excellent impression at Pittodrie.
As a result, the sudden availability of one Ashley Cole has caught the eye with some suggesting that he could reunite with his former Chelsea and England teammate Frank Lampard at Pride Park.
And, speaking to the Derby Telegraph, Derby manager Lampard has not exactly ruled out the prospect of the sixth most capped player in England’s history seeing out the remainder of his storied career in the East Midlands.
“I know Ashley well. I haven’t spoken to him on it, so it’s a conversation I could easily have,” Lampard said, while claiming that Cole could cut it at Championship level despite being due to turn 38 in December.
“I’m sure he could do. He’s 37, the best left-back of his generation, in my opinion, or actually many generations if you’re talking about those in an England shirt.
“So it’s certainly something that is high on my mind and I know Ashley so well that it would be an easy conversation for me to have.”
Cole has not played in Europe since an ill-fated spell at Roma, in which he made just 11 league appearances between 2014 and 2016. But his experience could be a huge influence on and off the pitch for a Derby side dreaming of promotion.
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