FORMER England international Ashley Cole watched on from the sidelines as Southend United’s under 16 side drew 3-3 with Chelsea at Boots & Laces.

Cole now coaches Chelsea’s youngsters following the end of his illustrious playing career which saw him win 107 caps for his country.

And Shrimpers coach Lewis Dallas was pleased with how his side performed against their Premier League opponents.

"The challenge for the boys was coming up against a different style of football,” said Dallas.

“Chelsea are an academy that can bring players in from wherever they want.

“They will have international players and players who will probably go on to represent various countries.

“It was a good standard for our boys to play against too.

“It showed them a different type of football and a different way to play, so it was a massive challenge for us but one that we think our players are able to cope with, and they were."