3/1 To Win
Former Derby County left-back Ashley Cole has announced his retirement from professional football.
The 38-year-old played his final game of his career for Derby in the Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final against Aston Villa in May.
Cole, who joined the Rams in January 2019, made 12 appearances for the club and scored one goal.
That came in the FA Cup Fifth Round in a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium in February.
Cole began his playing career at Arsenal and made his professional debut for the Gunners in 1999.
He gained vital first-team experience on loan at Crystal Palace in the second half of the 1999/2000 season before he returned to Arsenal to establish himself as a first-team regular under Arsene Wenger.
Cole enjoyed significant success with the Gunners, featuring heavily as they won the title in 2003/04 as ‘The Invincibles’ and played in their Champions League Final defeat to Barcelona in 2006 before leaving to join London rivals Chelsea that summer. He made 228 first-team appearances for Arsenal, scoring nine goals.
At Chelsea, his success continued as he was a regular at Stamford Bridge and amassed 339 appearances across all competitions as they continued their impressive rise to become one of the Premier League’s heavyweights.
Cole claimed nine winners’ medals during his time with Chelsea, lifting four FA Cups and both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League in his closing years with the Blues.
His consistent performance saw him collect various individual awards, including the Players’ Player of the Year award on two occasions.
He left Chelsea in the summer of 2014 and moved abroad as he linked up with Serie A side Roma, where he made 16 appearances during an 18-month stint with the Italian outfit.
Cole’s next venture saw him head over to America to link up with MLS outfit LA Galaxy, where he spent three years and made 86 appearances. He also demonstrated his leaderships qualities after being handed the captain’s armband for the 2018 campaign.
Cole joined Derby County in January 2019, linking up with his former teammate Frank Lampard as he helped the Rams into the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs where they were beaten by Aston Villa in the final.
On the international stage, Cole was capped by England at youth level before making his senior bow against Albania in March 2001.
Cole played for England at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euro 2004, where he was named as one of four England players in the all-star squad for the tournament, and UEFA Euro 2012.
He won the England Player of the Year award for 2010 and retired from international football in 2014, with his last appearance coming against Denmark in a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium in March 2014.
He earned 107 caps for his country and sits sixth in the all-time list of appearances for England.
Derby County would like to thank Ashley for his services to the football club and wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.
