Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a left-back, most notably for Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole is considered by many critics and fellow professional players as one of the best defenders of his generation, one of the greatest English players of all time as well as one of the greatest left-backs in the history of the sport. Born in Stepney, London, Cole began his youth career at Arsenal and made his full debut for the club in November 1999, going on to make 228 appearances and scoring nine goals for the North London club. With Arsenal he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and was an integral member of the "Invincibles" team of the 2003–04 season, who went the entire league season undefeated. Cole also made an appearance in Arsenal's first UEFA Champions League final in 2006; the club lost 2–1 to Barcelona.
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Cole with England at Euro 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ashley Cole | ||
| Date of birth | 20 December 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Stepney, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
| ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1999 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2006 | Arsenal | 156 | (8) |
| 2000 | → Crystal Palace (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 2006–2014 | Chelsea | 229 | (7) |
| 2014–2016 | Roma | 11 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | LA Galaxy | 89 | (3) |
| 2019 | Derby County | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 508 | (19) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999 | England U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002 | England U21 | 5 | (1) |
| 2001–2014 | England | 107 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
In August 2006, after a protracted transfer saga, Cole completed a move to rival club Chelsea, with whom he won further honours, including the Premier League in the 2009–10 season, four FA Cups, one Football League Cup and one UEFA Champions League. He was released by Chelsea at the end of the 2013–14 season. With seven winners' medals, Cole has won the FA Cup more times than any other player in history, and is one of two players to have won the Double with two clubs, along with Nicolas Anelka.
Cole was an England international from 2001 to 2014, playing at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2012. He was voted England Player of the Year in 2010. When he retired from international football in 2014, he had won 107 caps, making him England's most-capped full-back.