Ashley Cole inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame for Arsenal and Chelsea exploits

Ashley Cole has been announced as the latest inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The former Arsenal, Chelsea and England left-back received the prestigious honour on Monday after an official announcement made by the top-flight.

Widely regarded as among the best full-backs of his generation, the consistent Cole made 385 Premier League appearances in total during his illustrious career and won three titles - two with Arsenal in 2001/02 and as part of the famous 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ team under Arsene Wenger, later adding another at Chelsea with Carlo Ancelotti in 2009/10.

Cole also has seven FA Cup winners’ medals and was part of winning teams in the Champions League, Europa League and League Cup, also winning three Community Shields and a whole host of individual honours.

As well as a distinguished and successful domestic club career consisting of long spells at both Arsenal and Chelsea plus short stints with Crystal Palace, Roma, LA Galaxy and Derby, Cole also earned 107 England caps between 2001-14, playing in five major tournaments and taking sixth spot on the list of all-time Three Lions appearance makers, behind only Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Bobby Moore.

He now joins a star-studded Premier League Hall of Fame created in 2021 that first included Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

Patrick Vieira, Rooney, Ian Wright, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero were all then inducted in 2022, followed by Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Rio Ferdinand, Petr Cech and Tony Adams last year. Cole is the only inductee announced so far for 2024.

“I’m honoured to join the Premier League Hall of Fame," said Cole, who since retiring in 2019 has coached with Derby, England’s Under-21s, Everton and Birmingham. "It’s humbling and fulfilling to be rewarded at the end of your career.

“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.”

On Cole’s induction, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “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.

"After breaking through as a youngster at Arsenal, he will always be remembered as part of the iconic ‘Invincibles’ team, whose achievements remain unprecedented to this day.

“He continued his winning ways at Chelsea, forming a key part of one of the highest-scoring sides we have ever seen, and we are delighted to welcome him as the latest inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame.”