Born 20 December 1980 Cole is an English international who, to date, has made 98 appearances for his country. Primarily a left back, Cole has been described by his former manager Arsene Wenger as a “defender who simply loves to attack.”
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 a further 227 appearances, scoring nine goals. 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.
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. With seven winners’ medals, Cole has won the FA Cup more times than any other player in history.
Cole was pivotal to Chelsea’s success during the 2011-12 season which saw the club win the FA Cup after a dramatic final against Liverpool as well as winning the UEFA Champions League for the first time in Chelsea’s history. Cole was praised for his performances throughout the tournament which included a goal line clearance in the semi final against Barcelona and for his role in the final against FC Bayern Munich both for his defending and for scoring his penalty in the dramatic shoot-out.
Cole has been an England international since 2001 and played at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2012. He was voted England player of the year in 2010. As of 2012 he has won 98 caps, making him England’s most capped full back and most capped black player.
Become a fan of Cole on Facebook by liking his Official PFA page:
http://www.facebook.com/AshleyColeFootball
Source: DSG
