Ashley Cole has been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The 43-year-old progressed through the youth system at Arsenal and made his full debut in November 1999, going on to make 228 appearances, scoring nine goals and winning five major honours for the Gunners. Cole was part of the historic 'Invincibles' side which went the entire 2003/04 Premier League season unbeaten.
Cole also featured in the Gunners' first-ever Champions League final appearance against Barcelona in May 2006, but left north London later that year following a controversial transfer saga. Cole joined rivals Chelsea for £5million and he went on to become a influential figure at Stamford Bridge.
He spent eight successful years at the Blues, winning the Premier League once, the FA Cup on four occasions, the League Cup once, as well as the Champions League and Europa League. Cole departed the Blues after playing 338 matches and moved away from England to join Roma.
Having spent the twilight of his career at LA Galaxy and then Derby in the Championship, the 107-capped former England international retired from professional football in May 2019. Now, Cole has been recognised for such an illustrious career, in which he made over 700 appearances.
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Cole is the 22nd player to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame after it was first introduced in 2021. He will join former Chelsea teammates Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard on the list, while ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is one of two managers included - with Sir Alex Ferguson the other.
Speaking after being inducted, Cole said: "I went through my career 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.
"It's emotional to reflect because a lot of hard work has been put in. To join the Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand, I’m privileged to be in their company."
Ashley Cole made 385 Premier League appearances (Premier League/Sean Pollock)
Ashley Cole has been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame (Premier League/Sean Pollock)Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said: "If you ask people for the best full-back in Premier League history, many of them would name Ashley Cole. He excelled for title-winning Arsenal and Chelsea sides and helped to redefine the position thanks to his defensive and attacking qualities.
"After breaking through as a youngster at Arsenal, he will always be remembered as part of the iconic ‘Invincibles’ team, whose achievements remain unprecedented to this day.
"He continued his winning ways at Chelsea, forming a key part of one of the highest-scoring sides we have ever seen, and we are delighted to welcome him as the latest inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame."
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