Some players seem destined for coaching after their days kicking a ball are done, while others are not so obvious.
For Jermaine Pennant, Ashley Cole falls into the latter category.
Cole's sparkling playing career included three Premier League titles, a Champions League title, a Europa League and seven FA Cups, which would indicate that the former England international would have a lot of experience and knowledge to impart on the next generation.
But according to Pennant, who spent time with Cole at Arsenal at the turn of the century, Cole himself ruled out going into coaching after hanging up the boots as a player.
Consider Pennant shocked, then, when Cole eventually surfaced as part of the coaching staffs for several former teammates, most recently Wayne Rooney at Birmingham City.
"I can't say I ever saw Ashley Cole going into coaching," Pennant told King Casino Bonus. "We used to speak about it, and he used to say he'd never go into it.
"It was strange to hear he was at the [England] Under-18s a few years ago, and then he went to Chelsea and Derby.
"Fair play to him, but I never saw him having that desire when we played together."
In fact, it was another old teammate and former England defender that he thought would make the most obvious step into coaching, but didn't."I thought Jamie Carragher would go into management as he used to bark instructions at us," Pennant said. "He seems happy with punditry, though."