Joe Cole has told some of the Coventry City youngsters that they are in the best place to learn.
“Where I was coming from when I couldn’t keep myself match fit,” Cole told the Coventry Observer's Steve Carpenter. “I really wanted to minimise my time on the training pitch and save it for games.
“I would like to go down the coaching road in the future but at Coventry my thing was chatting to the lads and trying to give them good advice that I can pass onto them.
“I’d like to think they will all take something from the way I’ve played, trained and talked to them because I genuinely want them to do well.
“That would be great for me, leaving here knowing that I’ve helped some of the young players to develop on and off the pitch.
“There’s been a lot of players that have caught my eye and I’ve said to a lot of them you’re in the best place to do your learning.
“Obviously you need to make your living and earn money but under Tony (Mowbray) and Jamie’s (Clapham) tutorage and the way the club plays, they’re in a great place.
“It’s an ideal working environment to learn the game and James Maddison is one player who has beneffited and come on bundles.
“It would be unfair of me to single out lots of them but if you ask me for one I really like George Thomas.
“I thought he was excellent against Sheffield United. He’s got an old head on young shoulders and I think he can go on and score 10-15 goals next season.
“But so many of them have impressed me and I’ve enjoyed working with them. They’re all a great bunch of lads and real hard workers.”
More on this - http://coventryobserver.co.uk/sport/joe-cole-backs-sky-blues-youngsters-flourish-tony-mowbray/