Ashley Cole’s Jersey Number: The Flawed but Talented Left-Back

Ashley Cole was born on December 20, 1980, in England. He is a left-back inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. In his over 20-year career on the pitch, Ashley Cole is best known for his long tenure at Arsenal and Chelsea, wearing the number 3 jersey. This article will summarize Ashley Cole’s football journey and highlight some of the distinctive features of the jersey numbers he wore.

Ashley Cole’s Jersey Number and His Start at Arsenal

Cole began his football career in 1998 with Arsenal. He was given the number 31 jersey in the 1998-99 season and made his debut against Middlesbrough. In the 1999-20 season, he switched to the number 34 jersey and continued to play for the Gunners. He signed a professional contract with Arsenal on February 25, 2000, although he played on loan at Crystal Palace. In 2001, Arsenal’s left-back, Sylvinho, was injured, and Cole seized the opportunity to showcase his exceptional abilities and secure a starting position in the Gunners’ lineup. From 2001, he wore the number 3 jersey, which became a nightmare for many famous forwards of that era.

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Ashley Cole’s Jersey Number: The Classy Number 3

Standing at 1.76m with remarkable stamina, Cole was a thorn in the side of many opposing players. Arsenal’s lineup at the time included Martin Keown, David Seaman, Patrick Vieira, and Thierry Henry, and Ashley Cole’s presence on the left flank completed the powerful and beautiful attacking style under coach Wenger. He and his teammates achieved numerous successes for Arsenal, including 2 Premier League titles and 1 FA Cup.

Ashley Cole moved to Chelsea in 2006 after a series of transfer controversies. Still wearing his number 3 jersey but now in the blue of the Blues, Cole, under coach Jose Mourinho, was a nightmare for many football talents of that time. With his expertise in close marking and goal-line clearances, players from Arjen Robben to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo admitted that getting past the English defender was extremely difficult. Especially Cristiano Ronaldo, who, in an interview with the press, when asked who was the defender he hated playing against the most, unhesitatingly named Ashley Cole. Playing alongside Didier Drogba, John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Petr Cech, Cole led Chelsea to the pinnacle of glory with 1 Premier League title, 4 FA Cups, 1 Europa League title, and 1 Champions League title.

In addition to his illustrious club career, Ashley Cole was also a key member of the England national team. Still wearing his signature number 3 jersey, he made 4 appearances for the England U21 team. By the time he retired in 2013, Ashley Cole had played 107 times for the national team.

After leaving Chelsea, Ashley Cole continued his playing career at AS Roma and LA Galaxy, still wearing the number 3 jersey, before choosing the number 26 jersey to play for Derby County and retiring in 2014.

Parallel to his top-level playing career, Ashley Cole was also known for his off-field scandals. After marrying “the English rose” Cheryl Tweedy, Cole was repeatedly caught cheating before they divorced in 2009. After moving to AS Roma, he met and married Italian model Sharon Canu. They have a son and a daughter together.

Conclusion

After retiring, Ashley Cole ventured into coaching. He has coached for Derby County, the England U21 team, Everton, and Birmingham City. Although he has not achieved much success in his coaching career, Ashley Cole continues to inspire the next generation.

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