About Ashley Cole

Name:	Ashley Cole
Nationality:	English
Date of Birth:	20/12/1980
Height:	5' 9" (176cm)
Weight:	10st 6lbs (66.0kg)
Previous
Clubs:	Crystal Palace (loan), Arsenal
Position:	Defender

Chelsea career
Now in his fifth season at the club, Ashley Cole was a 2006 summer deadline day signing from Arsenal, to whom we paid £5 million plus William Gallas, and he made his debut against Werder Bremen in September that year.
A fabulous athlete who loves to go forward, he admitted at that season's end that Blues fans had yet to see him at his very best, a series of injures having hindered the settling process. Competition with Wayne Bridge for the left-back slot had ended with a roughly even share of games.
An ankle operation in the summer cleared
the way for an uninhibited start to the 2007/08 campaign and with Bridge injured, Ashley got off to a flyer and enjoy the lion's share of matches that season, particularly for the big encounters.



His first Chelsea goal was lashed in away at West Ham in March 2008, and after surviving an injury scare in training on the eve of the Champions League Final, he recovered to put in one of the best displays on the night, including a successful shoot-out penalty.
In 2008/09 under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Ashley was utilised far more in attack but with the arrival of Guus Hiddink, the full-back had his wings clipped, focusing more on defence, a tactic that paid off with a number of clean sheets.
Voted Players' Player of the Year at the end of 2008/09, Ashley had put previous injury concerns behind him to turn in a personal record number of club appearances in a season (49).
He won the FA Cup against Everton in 2009, a feat repeated in May 2010 against Portsmouth when he entered the record books as the only man to win six FA Cups, three with Chelsea in 2007, 2009 and 2010, and three with Arsenal.

Last season was another of unfaltering consistency for arguably the best left-back in the world, his sixth FA Cup joined by his second Double, along with Nicolas Anelka the first man to do so with two different clubs.
On a personal level, he scored a record four times in the same season, including the Chelsea Goal of the Season against Sunderland in January, a deft flick after controlling John Terry's long pass expertly and cutting inside his man.

Carlo Ancelotti's tactics aided Ashley's natural game, allowing him to get forward as often as possible as Florent Malouda's movement and a narrow midfield created him the necessary space.

He supplied goals against Stoke and Tottenham, while finding the scoresheet in explosive fashion against Burnley, and then Spurs, before twice claiming assists at former club Arsenal in November.

After fracturing his ankle in a challenge with Everton's Landon Donovan in Februrary, yet dedication and a fast-healing body helped him back before the end of April for the 7-0 win against Stoke, and he found the net one more time against Wigan on the final day of the league season.
Pre-Chelsea
A product of Arsenal's youth system, Ashley was born in east London and made his debut for the Gunners at the age of 18 in the League Cup.

He spent a three-month loan period at Crystal Palace at the end of the 1999/00 season, making 14 appearances and scoring one goal, his progress rewarded with his first Premiership appearance in the final league game of the season.

By the end of the following campaign, Ashley had taken over as first choice left-back from Silvinho, and the next season was handed his first winners' medals as Arsenal secured the Double, beating Chelsea in the Final. A year later Southampton were beaten in Cardiff to take the Cup tally to two.

He was also well on the way to his second Premiership title (playing 32 times in Arsenal's unbeaten league season of 2003/04) and had become an England international.

A third FA Cup win was added in 2005, and although his final Arsenal season saw him hampered by injuries, he recovered to start their Champions League Final defeat by Barcelona, his last game for the club.
International career
Having played for England at youth and Under 21 levels, Ashley was named in Sven-Göran Eriksson's first squad and made his full international debut against Albania in March 2001.
He played all five England games at the World Cup in 2002 and for many people, was one of his nation's star performers during Euro 2004 in Portugal. He was named in the all-star squad for the tournament.

He also played each of England's five games at the 2006 World Cup, but was absent in crucial qualifiers as they missed out on Euro 2008.

After nine years at the top of the game, he became England's joint-most-capped full-back in October 2010, matching Kenny Sansom's 86 caps in the 0-0 draw with Montenegro.

Competition	Apps (as sub)	Goals	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
League	23  (0)	0	3	0
Euro Cups	3  (0)	0	0	0

Career History:
Club	Season	Comp.	Apps (as sub)	Goals
Chelsea	2009 - 10	League	25  (2)	4
		FA Cup	2  (0)	0
		League Cup	0  (1)	0
		Euro Cups	4  (0)	0
Chelsea	2008 - 09	League	33  (1)	1
		FA Cup	7  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	8  (0)	0
Chelsea	2007 - 08	League	27  (0)	1
		FA Cup	1  (0)	0
		League Cup	1  (1)	0
		Euro Cups	10  (0)	0
Chelsea	2006 - 07	League	21  (2)	0
		FA Cup	4  (1)	0
		League Cup	3  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	9  (0)	0
Arsenal	2005 - 06	League	9  (2)	0
		Euro Cups	3  (0)	0
Arsenal	2004 - 05	League	35  (0)	2
		FA Cup	3  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	7  (1)	0
Arsenal	2003 - 04	League	32  (0)	0
		FA Cup	4  (0)	0
		League Cup	1  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	9  (0)	1
Arsenal	2002 - 03	League	30  (1)	1
		FA Cup	3  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	9  (0)	0
Arsenal	2001 - 02	League	29  (0)	2
		FA Cup	4  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	6  (1)	0
Arsenal	2000 - 01	League	15  (2)	3
		FA Cup	5  (1)	0
		League Cup	1  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	8  (1)	0
Crystal Palace	1999 - 00	League	14  (0)	1
Arsenal	1999 - 00	League	1  (0)	0
		League Cup	0  (1)	0
>>A HERO My mum. She was the one who got me up and sent me to football in the rain and took me everywhere when I was younger. She brought me and my brother up on her own and I owe her a lot. >>A GOOD CAUSE Wrighty's charity work in Guatemala for Education for the Children. I watched a programme about what he's doing and I was inspired by what he'd done with the young kids out there - building houses and beds for them and it's something that more of us should be involved in. >>A STARK REALITY Again, watching Wrighty's television programme made me think twice. lot of footballers like Shaun are doing work for charity that goes unnoticed and it made me see how just doing little things can change lives out there. >>A COACH Steve Coppell from when I was on loan at Crystal Palace as a youngster. I owe a lot to him for what's happened in my career. >>FIRST GOAL It was for Crystal Palace against Blackburn. I played it in to Clinton Morrison and asked for it back on the edge of the area and he just slipped me in. Then, from the edge of the box I just turned and shot with my left foot and it went to the keeper's left. >>FIRST TROPHY The Premier League in 2002 with Arsenal. >>I PLAYED WITH HIM I'd say Dennis Bergkamp, he was just the best. The things he did on the pitch, let alone the training ground, were just unbelievable - I've never seen someone as calm on the ball with vision and an eye for goal. >>FIRST CAR A black Renault Clio. I had it from when I was 18 to 20 years old and I loved it. >>FIRST MISTAKE It was always the same, a lack of concentration or something because I was always talking when I should have been doing my work. But I wasn't a naughty kid at school, I was a good kid. >>I COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER Nothing, just football. I'm lucky that I made it because I think I'd have been struggling if I didn't! >>GOAL OF THE MONTH I'd say Drogba's goals against Arsenal just because of the importance of them. >>SAVE OF THE MONTH Petr Cech against Wigan. I was in the stands watching it and when Antoine Sibierski went through near the end - what a save! >>MUG OF THE MONTH Joe Cole for getting nutmegged four times when we were playing squares in training. It's the firs time that's happened to anyone in the history of football! He got done by Shaun, Bridgey, Sidi and me all in one game!