Name: Ashley Cole
Nationality: English
Position: Defender
Former Clubs: Crystal Palace (loan), Arsenal
D.O.B: 20/12/1980
Squad Number: 3

A 2006 summer – transfer deadline day – coup from Arsenal for £5 million plus William Gallas, Cole is a fabulous full-back who loves to go forward. Athleticism is one of Cole’s strongest attributes and he uses this and his lightening speed to get up and down the full left side of the park.

In his first season Cole shared Chelsea’s left-back slot with Wayne Bridge. The two defenders played throughout the season and ended playing roughly the same amount of matches. It took Cole until March 2008 to bag his first goal for The Blues. The strike came as Chelsea beat West Ham at Upton Park by four goals. The same season Cole survived an injury scare on the eve of the Champions League Final against Manchester United in Moscow. The player played the full match and was one of the standout performers in the night and also successfully scored from the spot in the penalty shoot out which was lost.

The 2008/09 season was one of Ashley’s best as a player. Putting past injury’s behind him he set a new personal record in making 49 appearances throughout the season. In doing so, he also received the Players’ Player of the Year award.

In May 2010 he entered the record books as the only man to win six FA Cups. The win against Portsmouth was his third for Chelsea and his other 3 came from his Arsenal days. The 2010/11 Premier League season was Cole’s first season in which he was ever-present, having started all 38 of Chelsea’s matches. It was a great season for the Englishman as he also won the Players’ Player of the Year for the second time.