Chelsea defender Ashley Cole: Profile

05 March 2009 12:47
Born on Dec 20 1980 in Stepney, Cole joined Arsenal as a teenager in 1998 and made his first-team debut at the age of 18 as a striker against Middlesbrough. After a brief spell on loan at Crystal Palace in 2000, he cemented his position as Arsenal's left-back when Brazilian Sylvinho suffered an injury later that year. Two Premier League titles and three FA Cups ensued before he and his agent were caught in a secret meeting with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon in Jan 2005. Found guilty in the subsequent "tapping-up" case, Cole was fined £100,000, reduced to £75,000 on appeal. Cole later accused Arsenal of "feeding him to the sharks" in this affair. Following a drawn out saga, Cole joined Mourinho's Chelsea on deadline day in 2006, for £5 million with William Gallas joining Arsenal. Arsenal fans labelled him 'Cashley Cole' and waved fake £20 notes at him when the two sides met the following season. Released his autobiography in 2006, entitled My Defence, but sold just 4,000 copies in the first six weeks of its release. Married Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy in July that year with the pair being touted as the next 'Posh and Becks'. The couple posed in garish white outfits beside a Rolls Royce to promote the National Lottery and have rarely been out of the headlines since. In 2006 he successfully sued the News of the World and The Sun for libel after they printed allegations of a Premier League footballer and a DJ in a "homosexual orgy". Both papers later retracted their allegations and paid undisclosed damages. Suffered a serious injury at Chelsea in Jan 2007 but returned in time to pick up an FA Cup winners' medal that May. Caused vitriole with Tottenham fans in 2008 with a dangerously high tackle on defender Alan Hutton. Attracted negative headlines for turning his back on referee Mike Riley, who was trying to book him. Had to be repeatedly told to turn and face Riley under threat of a sending off, though he claims he meant no disrespect. In January last year the couple's two-year marriage was rocked by claims that hairdresser Aimee Walton had slept with Cole. Those claims almost led to the couple separating and Cheryl refused to wear her wedding ring. However, the couple decided to stay together.  

Source: Telegraph