ASHLEY COLE was an Arsenal Invincible, a European champion at Chelsea, a record seven-time FA Cup winner and a member of England’s exclusive 100 Club, once recognised as the best left-back on the planet.
But ask him to reflect on that glorious career, after being inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame, and Cole highlights his regret at the “silly bitterness” which overshadowed a large part of his career.
PAAshley Cole was inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame[/caption]
England Under-21 assistant boss Cole won major awards with Arsenal and ChelseaGetty Images – Getty
Cole, now a well-respected assistant to England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley, insists he is a very different person now to the hot-headed player who left Arsenal under a cloud after being tapped up by Chelsea.
Back then he infamously wrote in his autobiography that he “almost swerved off the road” when being informed that Arsenal were offering “only £55,000 a week”.
And Cole, 44, admits: “I’ve grown up since then, from making silly mistakes, silly words, bitter words, feuds – I’m so grown and so over that now.
“I respect the both clubs I was at, they gave me a lot, they gave me opportunities.
“There isn’t one memory that sticks out, I’ve won Premier Leagues, Champions League, created history in the FA Cup, I look back and say, ‘Yeah you’ve done well and they were your rewards’.
“And competing for my country at World Cups and Euros was really important to me.”
Cole’s career was one of English football’s finest but after his tumultuous high-profile marriage to pop star Cheryl Tweedy and the controversy over his move to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, he shied away from speaking to the media.
As a result he is often under-appreciated and it turns out that even extends to his own home.
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Cole, who won 107 England caps, said: “I’ve got two young kids who are always asking me, ‘Was I a good player?’ My daughter thought I was a referee!
“Getting this award did open my eyes as to what an achievement it was to get to the level I got to.
“Working with these young [England Under-21] lads, I can see a lot of me in them. They are a very humble, hard-working group. It’s inspirational for me to watch these players grow and hopefully get into the senior team.
“I look back at the journey from where I was as a 14, 15, 16-year-old, all the hard work and sacrifice. Then to make my debut for my boyhood club [Arsenal] and to win trophies and to grow as a player is something I won’t take lightly.
“I really enjoyed the journey. There’s a message for the kids – keep working hard on the training pitch, keep persevering and hopefully you have a career like me.”
Cole has urged patience with Arsenal’s teenage duo, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.
Left-back MLS has gone straight into the England senior squad, while Nwaneri will make his Under-21 debut away to France under Carsley and Cole on his 18th birthday on Friday.
Cole said: “I’ve seen Myles in the last year and a half. I’ve seen it with Ethan too. When you have so much talent, there is sometimes an urge to play them and do they sometimes fall short? These two haven’t.
England can triumph
“Now he [Lewis-Skelly] is in the seniors, he has just got to continue to play well for Arsenal and continue to get himself in the senior squad.
“But you’ve got to be careful with these young players. They are special and precious so you have to take your time sometimes.”
After winning the last Under-21 Euros two years ago, Cole believes England are capable of retaining their crown in Slovakia this summer.
Cole said: “That group two years ago, they had real pride in playing for the Three Lions, working for the badge.
“They were a great bunch and what they did in the last Euros showed a great team spirit and belief.
“We’ve told this group that they have left a legacy for you and we want to continue that and hopefully do well in the Euros and leave a legacy for the next generation.
“Every day I watch them train, I see the hunger and desire and if we don’t win the Euros, I know they will have given everything.”
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