Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole said it was a privilege to join the Premier League Hall of Fame after becoming its 22nd inductee on Monday.
Cole won three Premier League titles during a distinguished 15-year career in the English top flight, including playing a key role for Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2003-04.
The left-back joined Chelsea in a controversial move in 2006 and went on to become a Blues icon, winning nine major trophies with the club, including the Premier League title in 2009-10.
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Cole joins former team-mates Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp among the 22 current Hall of Famers, with two other inductees set to be named next month.
“I’m honoured to join the Premier League Hall of Fame,” Cole told the Premier League’s website. “It’s humbling and fulfilling to be rewarded at the end of your career.
A generational defender revered for his consistent excellence.
Ashley Cole is the first inductee of the 2024 #PLHallOfFame
💫 @TheRealAC3 pic.twitter.com/cE4TkuIt5P
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 25, 2024
“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.”
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters added: “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.”
Cole made a total of 385 Premier League appearances, contributing to 147 clean sheets and recording 46 goal involvements (15 goals, 31 assists).
Presenting the #PLHallOfFame nominees for 2024 💫
Vote now for your two picks! 👇
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 25, 2024
Fans can now vote for two further players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, with a 15-man shortlist named ahead of the results being announced on April 22.
John Terry, Eden Hazard, Sol Campbell and Cesc Fabregas – all of whom were club team-mates of Cole’s – are on the shortlist, which also includes Gary Neville, David Silva and Michael Owen.
