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Over the course of his career, Ashley Cole played with and against some true football greats. Starting out at Arsenal, he was part of the iconic Invincibles team before going on to controversially join Chelsea, where he would add another Premier League title to his trophy cabinet as well as the Champions League.
Beyond his achievements at club level, the defender also became a stalwart for England, earning 107 senior caps. He is arguably the best left-back to ever play for the Three Lions, starring for his country at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups and losing just 14 times across his entire international career.
Having done so much in the sport, it's interesting to learn which of his former teammates left a big impression on Cole. Speaking to We Are the Overlap, he was quizzed on a number of topics and gave some interesting answers.
Ashley Cole Dubs Wayne Rooney as 'Most Competitive'
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Having picked Thierry Henry as his greatest teammate, and Joe Cole as his most underrated, he was then asked to name the 'worst loser' he ever played with across his club and international career. Cole could not help but let a little smirk out as he replied:
"Wayne Rooney."
Perhaps feeding into that first answer, when asked who was the 'most competitive,' Cole once again claimed it was Rooney. It's not hard to see how the two traits would go hand in hand to make the former England striker one of the best of his generation.
Indeed, Rooney was known for his fiery temper on the pitch but always gave 100% for the teams he played for. His best years were spent at Manchester United, where he became their all-time top scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances, while winning five Premier League trophies and the Champions League.
For England, he joined Cole as one of just 10 legends to have managed over 100 caps for the Three Lions. Rooney was also his nation's top goalscorer with 53 goals until Harry Kane later overtook him.
wayne rooney england
wayne rooney england
Ashley Cole Snubbed Wayne Rooney as Teammate He'd Want in a Final
Interestingly, in the same interview, Cole was asked about one former teammate he would want in a final. He overlooked all former Arsenal and Chelsea teammates, as well as Rooney, to name Liverpool hero Steven Gerrard.
In fairness, Gerrard popped up with some truly magical cup-winning moments across his career. Most famously, he scored in the Reds' iconic comeback win against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final; but he also bagged in the club's 2005/06 FA Cup final win vs West Ham; as well as in the 2003 League Cup final vs Man Utd; and the 2000–01 UEFA Cup vs Alaves
Sadly, however, Gerrard and Cole never got to play in a final together for England. Had they done so, perhaps the Three Lions would have finally won something beyond their one and only World Cup final triumph way back in 1996.