Ex-Chelsea, Arsenal and England defender Ashley Cole (Picture: YouTube)
Ashley Cole says his former England and Chelsea team-mate Joe Cole was on a ‘different level’ when he first encountered him.
Born less than 11 months apart, Ashley and Joe Cole grew up playing against each other at school level and were then regular opponents while at their respective academies.
Joe Cole had long been viewed as one of the most highly-rated youngsters in England and was reportedly the subject of a £10m bid from Manchester United at the age of 16.
After spending almost a decade in West Ham’s academy, he made his first-team debut in 1998 aged 17 and went on to play exactly 150 games for the Hammers.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich brought Cole to Stamford Bridge in 2003 and over the next few years the playmaker lifted three Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
Mixed spells at Liverpool, Lille, Aston Villa, Coventry City and Tampa Bay Rowdies followed for Cole, who also earned 56 caps for England.
While Joe Cole was at the peak of his powers, Ashley was also enjoying substantial success, helping Arsenal win two Premier League titles and starring in the Invincibles 2003-04 campaign.
Chelsea v Portsmouth - FA Cup Final
Joe Cole and Ashley Cole won a number of trophies at Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
Ashley joined Joe at Chelsea in 2006 and established himself as one of the best left-backs in the Premier League era, winning another league title as well as four FA Cups – taking his overall tally to seven, the most in history – and the Champions League by the time his namesake had departed.
‘I remember watching you playing at school,’ Ashley Cole reflected on the Football’s Greatest podcast while sat beside his former team-mate.
‘It wasn’t my age group but I remember being on the sidelines and everybody standing around a pitch.
Newcastle United FC v Arsenal FC - Premier League
Joe Cole has since become a popular pundit (Picture: Getty)
‘I was thinking “what’s going on here?” and then someone went, “that’s Joe Cole, that’s Joe Cole playing”. That was the first time I got introduced to the Colemania!
‘Because at that age you were unreal. What you were doing on the football pitch – at that age – it was illegal.
‘That was the first time I really heard about the name and then I saw you in the flesh and you were on a different level.
‘I was just fast at that age but you had skill and the technical aspect of football. It was good to see someone like that at such a young age.’
Joe Cole is still regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation and even received praise from Brazil football legend Pele during his heyday.
‘The Number 10 for Chelsea, Joe Cole, is a very good player,’ Pele said. ‘He has the skills of a Brazilian.’
Since retiring in 2018, Joe Cole has worked as a football pundit for the likes of TNT Sports and ITV. Ashley, meanwhile, has gone down the coaching route and is currently working at the FA with England youth players.
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