Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Cole is widely regarded as the best left-back in Premier League history, winning three titles across his 15-year spell in the top flight.
The 43-year-old won his first Premier League title in 2001-02 and was part of the famous Arsenal side that went through the entire 2003-04 league season undefeated.
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Cole joined Chelsea in 2006 and clinched his third Premier League title in 2009-10 while playing for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
Cole said: “I’m honoured to join the Premier League Hall of Fame. It’s humbling and fulfilling to be rewarded at the end of your career.
“I went through my 20-year career span just trying to give my best and be good enough. You take it day by day and game by game. As a young kid, you never dream of any of this and you just do it for the love of the game of football.
“I played for some fantastic clubs with incredible fans. Winning trophies with my boyhood club Arsenal and with Chelsea are amazing memories that will always be with me.”
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The Premier League 60: No 20, Ashley Cole
Cole came through the Arsenal youth academy and made his Premier League debut in May 2000.
Following his departure from Chelsea, he had spells with Roma, LA Galaxy, and Derby County before retiring in 2019.
He has since had coaching roles at Chelsea, Everton, England’s Under-21s and Birmingham City.
Premier League Hall of Fame inductees:
- Alan Shearer (2021)
- Thierry Henry (2021)
- Eric Cantona (2021)
- Roy Keane (2021)
- David Beckham (2021)
- Dennis Bergkamp (2021)
- Frank Lampard (2021)
- Steven Gerrard (2021)
- Patrick Vieira (2022)
- Wayne Rooney (2022)
- Ian Wright (2022)
- Peter Schmeichel (2022)
- Paul Scholes (2022)
- Didier Drogba (2022)
- Vincent Kompany (2022)
- Sergio Aguero (2022)
- Sir Alex Ferguson (2023)
- Arsene Wenger (2023)
- Rio Ferdinand (2023)
- Petr Cech (2023)
- Tony Adams (2023)
- Ashley Cole (2024)
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Ashley Cole, the coach: 'He’s had an incredible journey in such a short time'
(Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
