Ashley Cole is of British and Barbadian heritage.  His father, Ron Callender moved to Australia when Cole was a child and he was brought up in London by his mother, Sue Cole, along with his younger brother Matthew.

Cole began his footballing career with the Arsenal Junior team in 1997, signing up to the Senior squad in 1999.  He made his first appearance for the team in the November of that year when they played Middlesbrough in the Worthington Cup but he spent part of that season on loan to Crystal Palace - a total of three months.  However, after Sylvinho suffered an injury in 2000, Cole managed to establish himself as the left back on the first team, remaining with Arsenal as a regular first-starter until 2006.  He managed to clock up impressive stats during that time, including two Premier League wins and three FA Cup Final wins.

Cole was involved in a tapping-up scandal in early 2005 involving rival’s Chelsea, but although he remained with Arsenal until 2006 he eventually did make a move to Chelsea in a £5 million deal which went through on August 31 that year.

Cole played for the England youth teams, scoring one goal out of his four appearances for the U21’s.  On 28 March 2001 he debuted for the senior squad against Albania in the FIFA World Cup qualifier and went on to represent England at the following World Cup and European Football Championships in 2002, 2004.  He represented the country again in 2006 when his crucial block against Ecuador in the second round helped get England as far as the Quarter Finals.

Cole was awarded the Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year in 2009.