Name: Ashley Cole
Born: December 20, 1980 in Stepney, London, England
Position: Left back
Pro club: AS Roma
Why he’s in the news
Controversially (or maybe fortunately, from his point of view) left off England’s disappointing World Cup team, Cole has had a rough couple of months since being released from Chelsea, the team where he spent eight fruitful seasons. Now with AS Roma in Italy’s Serie A, he faces a challenge that has proved beyond many an English star: finding success playing abroad.
He’s special because
He’s the prototypical wingback, the kind of defender who has the speed, confidence and competence to bomb forward and join the attack along the left flank. In that respect he follows in the (very hard to fill) footsteps of Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos. In fact, Roberto Carlos even said in 2005 that he considered Cole a good eventual replacement for him at Real Madrid.
What’s key to Cole’s success, and to the legitimate claims he has laid over the past decade to “best left back in the world” status, is that his attacking desires never come at the expense of his defensive duties. Cole is known for his vision and positioning, which allow him to shepherd attackers where he wants them and means he doesn’t have to rely on his (relatively) lacklustre tackling abilities.
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Club career
Cole got his big break in the Premier League under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, taking over for former first-choice left back Silvinho. As a Gunner in Arsenal’s Golden Age, Cole won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles—including as part of Arsenal’s legendary “Invincibles” team that won the 2003-04 league title without losing a single game.
Two seasons after that famous campaign, Cole and his club fell out bitterly over wages, with Arsenal offering £55K a week, but Cole feeling he deserved closer to £90K—which is what Chelsea ended up paying him, after a transfer that saw both Chelsea and Cole fined for negotiating without Arsenal’s consent. Dubbed “Cashly” by bitter fans, Cole went on to greater glory in the Blue side of London, winning another league title, four FA Cups, a Europa League crown and the 2011-12 Champions League title.
After being limited to just 17 league appearances in 2013-14 by Jose Mourinho—the man who controversially brought Cole to Chelsea in the first place—Cole found himself released at season’s end. Without a club, and with nothing left to win in England, Cole recently concluded a deal to join AS Roma, who finished second in Serie A last season. Unlike his last transfer, this move sees Cole enduring a massive pay cut, going from the reported £160,000 per week he was on at Chelsea, to as little as £35 K per week in Rome.
International career
Cole was just 20 when he made his debut for England in a World Cup qualifying win over Albania—and occasion that was ignominiously marked by Cole being struck in the head by a lipstick thrown from the stands as England celebrated an injury-time goal. Regardless, the left-back position was Cole’s to keep for more than the next 10 years, as he went on to make 107 appearances with the Three Lions.
A fixture at the back—all but one of his caps came as a starter—he anchored England through three World Cups (2002, 2006 and 2010) and two Euros (2004 and 2012), being named to the Euro ’04 Team of the Tournament. This prolific spell, which leaves Cole the consensus choice as England’s best-ever left back, came to an end this May when Cole announced his international retirement after being omitted from England’s World Cup squad in favour of Leighton Baines and youngster Luke Shaw.
Interesting fact
Never far from the tabloid headlines, Cole was in the news in 2011 for having shot a student intern at Chelsea in the leg with an air rifle at Chelsea’s training ground. Shot him right in the leg from five feet away (though he claims he didn’t know the rifle was loaded). Interns don’t get any respect.
His most famous moment(s)
Just one team in modern football can claim the title of “The Invincibles,” and Ashley Cole was a part of it. The 2003-04 Arsenal team that ended the season with 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats goes down as one of the greatest in history. Cole was a key part of that side, making 32 appearances for the Gunners.
He said it
“English players are probably scared to come abroad, they’re in a comfort zone in England, that’s where we grew up that’s where we played in youth teams. As soon as I knew I had the chance to come abroad and come to Italy and come to this great club, it was something I wanted to do.”
What they’re saying about him
“Everyone can see that Ashley Cole is the best left back in the world,” said then¬–Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti in 2010. “Every year it is difficult for a defender to be on the list for the Ballon d’Or because usually it is just for strikers and midfielders.”
