Bromley have reportedly spoken with legendary England international Ashley Cole as they seek a new manager.

The Ravens took the shock decision to sack Andy Woodman after a poor start to the season, bringing to an end a five and a half year association with the club, in which he brought them into the EFL and League One for the first time.

Cole Approached For New Role

Now, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Ashley Cole has been identified as a potential option to join the Hayes Lane club, with Bromley making contact with the 45-year-old for what would be his first long-term senior managerial appointment.

The former left-back has been out of work since the end of last season, having taken on a brief role to lead Italian Serie B side Cesena, leading them to an 11th-place finish across his eight matches in charge.

He has had plenty of coaching experience in the EFL, though, working under Wayne Rooney during his short-lived spell at Birmingham City, and was a long-term associate of his ex-Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard, working with him at Derby County and Everton.

Cole branched out into international coaching too, working with Lee Carsley both in the England under-21s side and as an assistant during the 52-year-old’s interim spell in charge of the senior Three Lions squad.

Other names have been floated for the role, with Alan Nixon previously reporting that Mike Dodds is also in the frame at Bromley just months after he joined Blackburn Rovers as a coach.

Is Ashley Cole Gamble Worth It?

With Bromley in an extremely worrying position right now when it comes to their hopes of surviving in their first season in League One, a left-field appointment seems a very rogue choice to make.

Ashley Cole has very limited management experience in the past five years, and with some of his coaching roles rightly earning him plaudits, especially with his work in the England youth setup, he is worthy of a crack at a job on his own.

Whether Bromley is the right destination for him to do that, though, is another question entirely, and if the Ravens are wanting someone in who can save them from the drop, the 45-year-old may not be the wisest of choices.

Coming with his own baggage from his spell at Wycombe Wanderers, Mike Dodds does offer the experience likely needed to battle against the drop, and while he too may not be a surefire hit at Hayes Lane, is a much safer bet than the former England defender.