1. Overview
Ashley Cole is an English football coach and former professional player, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation and one of the best left-backs in the history of the sport. His career spanned notable periods with Arsenal and Chelsea, where he amassed an impressive collection of domestic and European honours. Renowned for his defensive solidity, attacking prowess, exceptional stamina, and tactical intelligence, Cole was a pivotal figure for both his clubs and the England national team. He holds the record for the most FA Cup wins by any player, with seven titles, and is one of only two players to have won the domestic Double with two different clubs. After a distinguished playing career that concluded in 2019, Cole transitioned into coaching, taking on roles within Chelsea's academy, the England U21 team, and various senior club positions.
2. Early life
Ashley Cole was born on 20 December 1980 in Stepney, London, England. His father, Ron Callender, is from Barbados and left the family after seven years of marriage, later moving to Australia. Cole and his younger brother, Matthew, were raised by their mother, Sue Cole. He attended Bow School in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
3. Playing career
Ashley Cole's professional football career began in 1998, primarily as a left-back, a position in which he excelled due to his defensive capabilities and strong attacking contributions.
3.1. Arsenal
Cole began his career at his local club, Arsenal, whom he supported as a child. He joined their youth academy in 1997 and signed his first professional contract on 25 February 2000. His first-team debut came earlier, on 30 November 1999, in a League Cup fourth-round match against Middlesbrough, which Arsenal lost 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. His Premier League debut followed on 14 May 2000 against Newcastle United.
Before fully establishing himself, Cole spent a portion of the 1999-2000 season on loan at Crystal Palace. Upon his return, he seized the opportunity to secure a first-team spot when Arsenal's established left-back, Sylvinho, suffered an injury in the autumn of the 2000-01 season. Cole remained the first-choice even after Sylvinho's recovery.
With Arsenal, Cole won the Premier League twice, in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons. He was an integral member of the "Invincibles" team of the 2003-04 season, which completed the entire league campaign undefeated. He also lifted the FA Cup three times, in 2002, 2003, and 2005, scoring in the penalty shootout of the latter final. In the 2004-05 season, Cole scored his first goal against Manchester City, securing a crucial win, and his second in a 3-1 away victory over Aston Villa. Despite being injured for much of the 2005-06 season, he recovered in time to play in Arsenal's first UEFA Champions League final in 2006, where they lost 2-1 to Barcelona. In total, Cole made 228 first-team appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals.
3.2. Crystal Palace (loan)
During the 1999-2000 season, before fully breaking into the Arsenal first team, Ashley Cole spent a three-month loan spell at Crystal Palace. He made 14 league appearances for the club and scored one goal, a long-range half-volley against Blackburn Rovers.
3.3. Transfer saga
In 2005, Ashley Cole became embroiled in a controversial transfer saga after he was found guilty of making contact with rival club Chelsea regarding a potential move, without informing Arsenal. For this "tapping-up" meeting, which took place in January 2005 and involved Cole, his agent Jonathan Barnett, Chelsea manager José Mourinho, chief executive Peter Kenyon, and agent Pini Zahavi, Cole was initially fined 100.00 K GBP by the Premier League on 2 June 2005. An appeal in August 2005 upheld the guilty verdict but reduced his fine to 75.00 K GBP. Chelsea was also fined 300.00 K GBP, and Mourinho 200.00 K GBP, which was also reduced to 75.00 K GBP on appeal. Barnett's license was suspended for 18 months, and he was fined 100.00 K GBP.
On 18 July 2005, Cole signed a one-year contract extension with Arsenal, but his relationship with the club deteriorated. In his autobiography, he claimed that the Arsenal board had treated him as a "scapegoat" and "fed him to the sharks" over the tapping-up affair. Arsenal, conversely, maintained they were legally obliged to punish him for his illegal contact with Chelsea. Cole was notably excluded from Arsenal's 2006-07 team photograph, fueling speculation of his departure.
On 28 July 2006, Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein confirmed "civil talks" with Chelsea regarding Cole. Chelsea initially offered 16.00 M GBP, but Arsenal demanded 25.00 M GBP. Negotiations continued throughout August, seemingly heading for a deadlock. However, on 31 August, Cole finally signed for Chelsea for a fee of 5.00 M GBP, with William Gallas moving from Chelsea to Arsenal as part of the same deal. The transfer was concluded after the official transfer window had closed, only being confirmed an hour and a half past the deadline. This move deeply angered Arsenal fans, who dubbed him "Cashley" and waved fake 20 GBP notes with his face on them during the first match between the two clubs on 10 December 2006.
Arsenal had offered Cole a longer contract, but he was reportedly "trembling with anger" when they offered him wages of 55.00 K GBP per week. His weekly wage increased to 120.00 K GBP when he signed a new contract with Chelsea in September 2009.
3.4. Chelsea
Upon joining Chelsea, Ashley Cole was assigned the number 3 shirt. He made his debut for the club on 9 September 2006, coming on as a substitute for Wayne Bridge in a 2-1 victory over Charlton Athletic. Cole publicly stated that he "forgave" Arsenal for how he felt he was treated during his time there.
On 31 January 2007, Cole suffered a knee injury during a 3-0 Premier League victory against Blackburn Rovers at Stamford Bridge. Although initially feared to be serious, scans revealed it was not as bad as first thought, and Chelsea was optimistic about his return before the end of the 2006-07 season. Cole did return to play the final twelve minutes of the 2007 FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium against Manchester United, which Chelsea won 1-0 after extra time, securing the 2007 FA Cup.
Cole was reportedly among the players upset by José Mourinho's departure as Chelsea manager. He was notably dropped in favor of Wayne Bridge for the 2008 Football League Cup final, which Chelsea lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. However, Cole scored his first Chelsea goal in the very next game, on 1 March 2008, contributing to a 4-0 away victory against West Ham United. On 19 March 2008, he was involved in a controversial incident during a Premier League game against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, performing a high tackle on Tottenham's Alan Hutton. Referee Mike Riley issued a yellow card, a decision widely criticized as too lenient. Cole allegedly "turned his back on the referee," reigniting media debate over dissent towards officials.
In the 2008-09 season, Cole played a crucial role as an indispensable full-back after Wayne Bridge's transfer, earning the Chelsea Players' Player of the Year award. He scored his third, fourth, and fifth Chelsea goals at home against Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur, and Sunderland respectively. On 2 September 2009, he signed a new four-year deal, keeping him at Chelsea until 2013.
On 10 February 2010, Cole suffered a fractured left ankle in a 2-1 defeat against Everton, sidelining him for three months. He made his return against Stoke City in a game Chelsea won 7-0. Cole scored a goal against Wigan Athletic on the final day of the 2009-10 Premier League season, contributing to an 8-0 win as Chelsea clinched the title. He then played in the 2010 FA Cup final, where Chelsea defeated Portsmouth, securing Cole's second league and cup double of his career. He started all 38 league games for Chelsea in the 2010-11 season and was awarded the Chelsea F.C. Player's Player of the Year award for the second time.
In the 2011-12 season, Cole won his seventh FA Cup after Chelsea defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the 2012 FA Cup final. In the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, Cole was pivotal in Chelsea's 1-0 victory, making a crucial goal-line clearance that denied Barcelona an away goal. Cole also received significant praise for his performance in the final against Bayern Munich on 19 May 2012, both for his strong defending and for scoring in the decisive penalty shoot-out that led to Chelsea's first European title.
Cole scored his first goal in over two years against Stoke City on 22 September 2012, which proved to be the winner. On 1 December 2012, he made his 350th Premier League appearance in a 3-1 away loss to West Ham United.
On 22 January 2013, Cole signed a one-year extension to his contract with Chelsea. He again helped the club win a European title during the 2012-13 season, playing in a 2-1 victory over Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final on 15 May.
During the 2013-14 season, Cole's playing time diminished, with César Azpilicueta replacing him as the club's first-choice left-back from November onwards. Cole captained the team on the final match day against Cardiff City in a 2-1 away win, which marked his last appearance in a Chelsea shirt. On 23 May 2014, after the season concluded, he was included on the list of players released by Chelsea, with his contract expiring on 30 June 2014.
3.5. Roma
On 7 July 2014, Cole signed a two-year deal with Italian Serie A club Roma, becoming the first English player in the club's history. He made his competitive debut on 30 August in their first game of the Serie A season, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2-0 win over Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico. However, Cole struggled to adapt to the Serie A environment. By the start of the 2015-16 season, he was stripped of his number 3 shirt, which was given to new signing Lucas Digne. On 19 January 2016, Cole terminated his contract with Roma, with one year remaining on his deal, after making only 16 appearances for the club.
3.6. LA Galaxy
Cole signed with LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer on 27 January 2016, following a recommendation from his former England teammate Steven Gerrard. On 24 February, he made his debut in a goalless home draw against Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League. His league debut came on 6 March, playing the full 90 minutes of a 4-1 win over D.C. United at the StubHub Center. Manager Bruce Arena praised Cole and fellow veteran new signing Nigel de Jong after the result.
Cole received two red cards in his first season. On 1 May, he was sent off for a second booking in a 1-1 draw at Sporting Kansas City, following a clumsy tackle on Benny Feilhaber just 32 seconds after his first caution. His second dismissal occurred on 25 June in a match against San Jose Earthquakes, after a reckless tackle and a subsequent melee.
On 7 August 2016, Cole scored his first goal for the Galaxy, a last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 home draw against the New York Red Bulls. His team qualified for the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs but lost the Western Conference semi-finals to the Colorado Rapids on penalties. Cole's penalty attempt was saved by Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard, and after the game, he publicly apologised to Steven Gerrard, who was playing his final professional match for the Galaxy that night.
In his second season in California, on 23 August 2017, Cole received another red card after 18 minutes of a 2-0 loss at Columbus Crew SC for a foul on Pedro Santos. He played 29 matches for the Galaxy, scoring once in a 6-2 home loss to Real Salt Lake, as the team finished last and missed out on the play-offs for the first time since 2008.
Ahead of the 2018 season, head coach Sigi Schmid named Cole as captain. Despite his leadership, the Galaxy missed the play-offs again. He was released by LA Galaxy at the end of their 2018 season.
3.7. Derby County
On 21 January 2019, Cole joined Championship side Derby County, reuniting with manager Frank Lampard, who was his teammate at Chelsea and with the England national team. He signed a contract until the end of the 2018-19 season. He was released by Derby County at the end of the season. On 18 August 2019, Cole officially announced his retirement from professional football, marking the end of a 20-year playing career.
4. International career
Ashley Cole represented England at various youth and senior levels. He was capped for the England U-20 team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, where the team finished bottom of their group without scoring any goals. He also made four appearances for England under-21s, scoring once.
After just four appearances for the Under-21s, Cole was fast-tracked into the England senior team. Sven-Göran Eriksson handed Cole his senior international debut against Albania on 28 March 2001. He went on to play for England at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cups, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2012. At Euro 2004, he was named as one of four England players in the all-star squad for the tournament.
Cole was an ever-present for England in the 2006 World Cup. In their second-round match against Ecuador, he made a crucial block, deflecting Carlos Tenorio's shot onto the crossbar, helping England to a 1-0 victory. However, the team was knocked out on penalties by Portugal in the quarter-finals. By the end of 2008, Cole had accumulated 68 caps for England, all of which were starting appearances.
On 12 June 2010, he made his 79th appearance for England in a 1-1 draw against the United States in the 2010 World Cup group stage. Later that month, by playing against Algeria, he surpassed the record of 79 caps held by a black English international, John Barnes. He holds the record for the most international appearances by an England outfield player without scoring a goal. In October 2010, he earned his 86th cap against Montenegro, equalling Kenny Sansom's record as England's most-capped full-back. This achievement contributed to him being voted England Player of the Year for 2010 by fans. On 6 February 2013, he earned his 100th cap as England defeated Brazil 2-1 at Wembley.
On 11 May 2014, Cole announced his retirement from international football after being omitted from the England squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He concluded his international career with 107 caps.
5. Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Ashley Cole transitioned into coaching. He initially joined Derby County's coaching staff. He then followed Frank Lampard to Chelsea, where he served as an academy coach for the U-15 team starting in October 2019.
On 27 July 2021, Cole was appointed as assistant coach of the England U21s, working alongside head coach Lee Carsley, while also maintaining his duties with Chelsea's academy.
On 3 February 2022, Cole joined Everton as a first-team coach, once again linking up with Frank Lampard, who had recently been appointed manager of the club. He departed Everton on 23 January 2023 following Frank Lampard's departure.
In October 2023, when Wayne Rooney was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Birmingham City, Cole joined his staff as a first-team coach. He left Birmingham City in September 2024.
On 23 August 2024, it was confirmed that Cole would assist Lee Carsley in his role as interim head coach of the England senior team following the departure of Gareth Southgate. On 14 September 2024, it was further confirmed that Cole had left Birmingham City to join The FA on a full-time basis as a national coach.
6. Style of play
Ashley Cole was renowned for his dynamic and aggressive style of play as a left-back, combining strong defensive attributes with significant attacking contributions. His former manager, Arsène Wenger, described him as "a defender who simply loves to attack. Defends, because he has to defend and because it is part of his job. Everybody loves to play with [him] because as soon as you won the ball back, he was up there to attack."
As a youth player, Cole "always liked scoring goals and attacking" but grew to embrace the defensive role, as left-back offered his best opportunity to break into the senior team. He studied the conduct of fellow defender Nigel Winterburn to improve his play, with Winterburn also offering pointers on positioning. Cole modeled his game on the Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos, believing that with hard training, one could approach his level.
Liam Brady described Cole as a player with "great character and determination." His former teammate Sylvinho noted Cole's competence, stating, "Ashley does not need people saying, 'Do this' or 'Go there.' He knows, he knows." Wenger was "surprised" by Cole's rapid progress in his debut season for Arsenal, leading him to make Cole his first choice. Sylvinho recalled Wenger's confidence in Cole: "He spoke to [Cole] and said: 'After Silvinho you can play left-back. You are one of the best left-backs at the club and one day will be one of the best in the world.'" Cole's link-up play with winger Robert Pires and striker Thierry Henry in Arsenal's 4-4-2 formation effectively made him "a wing-back or winger playing in a back four" due to Arsenal's emphasis on attacking football.
Under José Mourinho at Chelsea, Cole's attacking runs were somewhat restrained, allowing him to focus more on defending and marking. This was the "side of his game" Cole improved the most, according to Winterburn, as he had previously been criticized for being caught out of position. However, the arrival of Luiz Felipe Scolari encouraged Cole to make more forward runs, leading Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill to believe Cole was "back playing to his very best."
Cole was highly regarded for his timed goal-line clearances and ability to "cut out danger." In a December 2002 league match against Tottenham Hotspur, he made two notable clearances that demonstrated his improved defensive game. He also made two vital goal-line clearances during Chelsea's 2011-12 Champions League winning campaign: one against Napoli in a 3-1 round-of-16 first leg defeat, and another in Chelsea's semi-final first leg 1-0 win against Barcelona. Both were crucial as Chelsea won those ties by a one-goal aggregate margin, ultimately lifting the Champions League trophy.
While some have attributed a "mean streak" to Cole and labeled him a "dirty player," both he and his former coaches have strongly denied such accusations.
7. Personal life
Ashley Cole began a relationship with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy in September 2004, when they were living in the same apartment building in London. They married on 15 July 2006 at Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire. In January 2008, the couple nearly separated following allegations that Cole had extramarital affairs with three other women; however, he disputed the claims, and they remained together. On 23 February 2010, it was announced that the couple would separate after new allegations of adultery surfaced. Three months later, Cheryl filed for divorce, which was officially granted on 3 September 2010.
Cole has a son, born in 2016, and a daughter, born in 2018, with Italian model Sharon Canu, whom he met while playing in Italy.
In 2006, Cole sued the News of the World and The Sun newspapers for libel after they published allegations that he was involved in a "homosexual orgy". Both newspapers later retracted the allegations. In the same year, Cole released his autobiography titled My Defence, which sold 4,000 copies in its first six weeks. His former teammate, Jens Lehmann, criticized Cole for writing an autobiography at the young age of 25.
Cole has had a few minor brushes with the police. On 4 March 2009, he was detained after swearing in front of a police officer outside a South Kensington nightclub. He was taken to a police station and issued with an 80 GBP fixed penalty notice before being released. On 4 January 2010, Cole was convicted of a speeding offence committed on 17 November 2009. He was recorded driving at 104 mph in a 50 mph zone on the A3 road in Kingston upon Thames, a residential stretch. His defense, argued in his absence, unsuccessfully claimed the police speed gun was faulty and that he was attempting to evade the paparazzi. On 29 January, he was fined 1.00 K GBP and disqualified from driving for four months.
On 27 February 2011, Cole accidentally shot Tom Cowan, a 21-year-old sports science student on work experience at Chelsea, with a .22 calibre air rifle from only five feet away at the club's Cobham Training Centre. Cole was reportedly unaware the rifle was loaded. He formally apologized to Cowan and discussed the incident with Chelsea officials.
8. Career statistics
8.1. Club statistics
| Season | Club | Division | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Arsenal | 1999-2000 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |
| 2000-01 | Premier League | 17 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | - | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2001-02 | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 40 | 2 | ||
| 2002-03 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| 2003-04 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 1 | |
| 2004-05 | Premier League | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 2005-06 | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| Total | 156 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 228 | 9 | ||
| Crystal Palace (loan) | 1999-2000 | First Division | 14 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||||
| Chelsea | 2006-07 | Premier League | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| 2007-08 | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |
| 2008-09 | Premier League | 34 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2009-10 | Premier League | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| 2010-11 | Premier League | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 2011-12 | Premier League | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | - | 48 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 1 | |
| 2013-14 | Premier League | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
| Total | 229 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 63 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 338 | 7 | ||
| Roma | 2014-15 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | - | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| LA Galaxy | 2016 | Major League Soccer | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2017 | Major League Soccer | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 30 | 1 | ||||
| 2018 | Major League Soccer | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | 32 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 89 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 94 | 3 | ||
| Derby County | 2018-19 | Championship | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 508 | 19 | 55 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 112 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 702 | 21 | ||
8.2. International statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2001 | 7 | 0 |
| 2002 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 107 | 0 | |
9. Honours
Arsenal
- Premier League: 2001-02, 2003-04
- FA Cup: 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05
- FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2005-06
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2009-10
- FA Cup: 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12
- Football League Cup: 2006-07
- FA Community Shield: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2011-12
- UEFA Europa League: 2012-13
Individual
- PFA Team of the Year: 2002-03 Premier League, 2003-04 Premier League, 2004-05 Premier League, 2010-11 Premier League
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2010
- Chelsea Players' Player of the Year: 2008-09, 2010-11
- Chelsea Goal of the Season: 2009-10 vs. Sunderland
- England Player of the Year: 2010
- Premier League 20 Seasons Awards: Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons (Public and Panel choice)
- Premier League Hall of Fame: 2024
- 2010 FIFA World Cup Man of the Match: vs. Algeria (Group stage)