Ashley Cole facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
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Current team
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| 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 | |||
Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is a famous English football coach and former player. He played as a left-back. Many experts and other players think he is one of the best defenders of his time. He is also considered one of England's greatest players ever.
Cole started his youth career at Arsenal in London. He made his first team debut in 1999. With Arsenal, he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was a key part of the "Invincibles" team in 2003–04, which did not lose a single league game that season. He also played in Arsenal's first UEFA Champions League final in 2006.
In 2006, Cole moved to Chelsea. There, he won even more trophies, including the Premier League in 2009–10, four more FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012. He has won the FA Cup seven times, more than any other player.
Cole played for the England national team from 2001 to 2014. He played in three FIFA World Cups and two Euro tournaments. When he stopped playing for England in 2014, he had played 107 games. This made him England's most-capped full-back.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Ashley Cole was born in Stepney, London. His mother, Sue Cole, raised him and his younger brother Matthew. He went to Bow School in Tower Hamlets.
Club Career Highlights
Arsenal: 1999–2006
Cole joined his favorite childhood club, Arsenal, to start his career. He was 18 when he played his first game for the senior team in November 1999. Before becoming a regular player for Arsenal, he spent some time on loan at Crystal Palace in the 1999–2000 season. He played 14 league games there and scored one goal.
When Arsenal's main left-back, Sylvinho, got injured in 2000, Cole got his chance. He played so well that he became the first-choice left-back even after Sylvinho recovered.
With Arsenal, Cole won the Premier League twice, in 2002 and 2004. He also won the FA Cup three times, in 2002, 2003, and 2005. In total, he played 228 games for Arsenal and scored nine goals. He was part of the famous "Invincibles" team that went a whole season without losing a league match.
Moving to Chelsea: 2005–2006
In 2005, there was a lot of talk about Cole possibly moving to Chelsea. He eventually signed with Chelsea on 31 August 2006. This move involved William Gallas moving from Chelsea to Arsenal.
Chelsea: 2006–2014
Cole quickly became a key player for Chelsea. He wore the number 3 shirt. He played his first game for Chelsea on 9 September 2006.
In 2007, Cole helped Chelsea win the 2007 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Chelsea won 1–0 after extra time.
Cole scored his first goal for Chelsea on 1 March 2008 against West Ham United. He continued to be a strong defender and also scored goals for Chelsea.
In February 2010, he broke his left ankle, which kept him out of action for three months. He returned to help Chelsea win the Premier League title. He also played in the 2010 FA Cup final, where Chelsea beat Portsmouth. This meant Cole had won the league and cup double twice in his career. He was named Chelsea's Player's Player of the Year twice.
The 2011–12 season was very successful for Cole and Chelsea. He won his seventh FA Cup when Chelsea beat Liverpool 2–1 in the final. He also played a huge role in Chelsea winning their first ever UEFA Champions League title. In the final against Bayern Munich, Cole defended brilliantly and scored in the penalty shootout that decided the match.
Cole continued to play for Chelsea until the end of the 2013–14 season. He left the club on 23 May 2014.
Roma, LA Galaxy, and Derby County
On 7 July 2014, Cole signed a two-year deal with Roma in Italy. He played his first game for them on 30 August. He left Roma in January 2016.
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Cole then moved to the United States, joining LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer on 27 January 2016. He played 89 games for the Galaxy and scored 3 goals. He was named captain for the 2018 season.
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On 21 January 2019, Cole joined Championship side Derby County. He reunited with his former Chelsea teammate, Frank Lampard, who was the manager there. Cole played 9 games for Derby County. He officially announced his retirement from playing football on 18 August 2019.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Ashley Cole became a coach. He started coaching at Derby County. Later, he followed Frank Lampard to Chelsea, where he worked as an academy coach.
In July 2021, Cole became an assistant coach for the England U21s. He also continued his role at Chelsea's academy.
In February 2022, Cole joined Everton as a first-team coach, again working with Frank Lampard. He left Everton in January 2023 when Lampard left the club.
In October 2023, Cole joined Wayne Rooney's coaching staff at Birmingham City. He left Birmingham City in September 2024.
In August 2024, it was confirmed that Cole would help Lee Carsley as an interim assistant coach for the England senior team.
International Career
Ashley Cole played for England at different levels, including youth teams. He made his senior international debut for England on 28 March 2001 against Albania.
He represented England in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cups. He also played in UEFA Euro 2004 and UEFA Euro 2012. In Euro 2004, he was named one of the best players in the tournament.
Cole played in all of England's games at the 2006 World Cup. He made a very important block in the match against Ecuador. He became England's most-capped full-back in history. On 6 February 2013, he earned his 100th cap for England in a match against Brazil at Wembley.
On 11 May 2014, he announced he was retiring from international football. This was after he was not chosen for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.
Playing Style
Ashley Cole was known for his attacking style of play. He loved to go forward and help his team score goals. When he was young, he enjoyed scoring, but he also learned to love defending. He studied other defenders to improve his game.
His former coach, Arsène Wenger, was surprised by how quickly Cole improved at Arsenal. Cole was very good at linking up with wingers and strikers, making him almost like a winger playing in defense.
When he played for Chelsea under José Mourinho, Cole focused more on defending. He became very good at making important goal-line clearances, stopping opponents from scoring. He made two crucial clearances in Chelsea's 2011–12 Champions League winning season.
Personal Life
Ashley Cole was married to singer Cheryl Tweedy. They got married in 2006 and later divorced in 2010.
He has a son, born in 2016, and a daughter, born in 2018, with Italian model Sharon Canu.
In 2006, Cole released his autobiography called My Defence.
Career Statistics
Club
| 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 | ||
International
| 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 | |
Honours
Arsenal
- Premier League: 2001–02, 2003–04
- FA Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05; runner-up: 2000–01
- 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; runner-up: 2007–08
- FA Community Shield: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2011–12; runner-up: 2007–08
- 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 (1992–93 to 2011–12):
- Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons (Public and Panel choice)
- Premier League Hall of Fame: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Ashley Cole para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
