3/1 To Win
There are few who are more accustomed to Wembley Stadium than Ashley Cole. He has graced the pitch at the home of English football 34 times in his career, but Monday is set to be his first in the Championship Play-Off Final.
The experienced left-back has won the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield at Wembley during his glittering career as well as representing England, so he understands the magnitude of what an occasion there brings.
His record at the biggest stage for football in this country is outstanding, with 25 victories, six draws and just three defeats in his 34 appearances there.
He is hoping to add another good memory on Monday afternoon when Derby County face Aston Villa in the Sky Bet Championship's Play-Off Final.
“As soon as you go on the coach underground, you start to get the feeling: ‘This is the English home, the biggest stadium in England’,” Cole recalled of his times at Wembley when speaking to RamsTV.
“There are always great occasions there and you are always playing there for a reason, for a big reason so it is always nice to play there.
“It is always a good pitch, a great atmosphere with 90,000 fans. Whenever I have been there it has always been a big occasion whether it has been a cup final or representing my country. It means a lot to go back there and hopefully win and enjoy the day.”
With a squad scattered with youth, who have no doubt stood up to the challenges they have faced so far well, the Play-Off Final is the biggest game of the careers for some in the team.
Loan trio Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Harry Wilson as well as academy product Jayden Bogle don’t have to look far for guidance heading in to the game with Cole just one of many on hand.
Richard Keogh, Bradley Johnson, Tom Huddlestone are to name but a few with valuable experience they can share from the playing staff, but Cole believes there is a balance of how much information to pass on.
“At the minute it is just about getting the formation and the tactics right and training hard,” he explained. “Closer to the day, when we travel, maybe I will speak to one or two of the younger players then.
“I don’t want to get in their head too early and fill them with too much because they have done brilliant since I have been here. They have improved, they are always hungry to learn, always hungry to work harder.”
He added: “It is very important in this day of age and in football as well telling the guys what it means to fight for something.
“Someone like Jayden Bogle has come through the Academy in the last few years and he has played near enough every game this season, so it is just to maybe speak to these guys and get them to understand what it means to fight for a bigger cause than youth team. He has done brilliantly as have the other young guys.”
