Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980 in
StepneyStepney is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east north-east of Charing Cross and forms part of the East End of London. The area is a mix of post-war high density housing, Victorian mansion blocks and terraced housing that were not demolished during slum...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer and currently playing as a left back for
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
and England.
Club career
Cole started his career as teenager by joining his local club, Arsenal, whom he had supported as a child. He signed as a professional on 25 February 2000. He had made his debut for the first team together with
Jermaine PennantJermaine Lloyd Pennant is an English footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza. He signed for the La Liga side in July 2009 after his contract at Liverpool expired...
as a striker on 30 November 1999 against
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough Football Club , also known as The Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who will play in the Football League Championship for the 2009–10 season, following relegation from the Premier League. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August...
at the age of 18, and his Premier League debut for Arsenal came on 14 May 2000 against Newcastle. Before he fully broke into the Arsenal side, he spent part of the
1999–2000-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
season on loan at
Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where it has been based since 1924. The club is competing in the second tier of English Football, The Championship for the 2009-2010...
, where he played 14 league matches and scored one goal, a long-range half-volley against
Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire.The club was established in 1875, becoming a founding member of The Football League in 1888. It is one of only three clubs to have been both a founder member of the Football League...
. After an injury to
SylvinhoSylvio Mendes Campos Junior , commonly known as Sylvinho, sometimes alternatively spelled Silvinho, is a Brazilian footballer, who currently plays for Manchester City, having previously played for FC Barcelona, Celta Vigo and Arsenal...
, Arsenal's established
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian left-back, in autumn 2000, Cole came on as his replacement, and remained first-choice even after Sylvinho's recovery.
With Arsenal, he won the
Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
twice (in 2002 and 2004), and the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
three times (in 2002, 2003 and 2005, scoring in the penalty shootout in the final of the latter). Although injured for much of the
2005–06The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, he recovered in time to play in Arsenal's
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
Final defeat to
BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
at the end of the season. In total he made 228 first-team appearances for Arsenal, scoring 9 goals.
2004-05 season
Ashley Cole had a very good season in 2004-05. He was a regular at left-back for both England and Arsenal despite
Gael ClichyGaël Clichy is a French footballer who currently plays as a full back for Arsenal in the English Premier League.-Early career:...
's claim for a place in the first team squad. Cole scored his first goal of the season in the seventh game in a tough trip to Manchester City FC which he scored the opening and only goal to give Arsenal an important win. He scored his second goal in a 3-1 away win to Aston Villa FC. He scored Arsenal's third in only the 28th minute. Cole, however, was also involved in the transfer saga with Chelsea FC.
Transfer saga
In 2005, Cole made inappropriate contact with league rivals
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
over a possible move, without alerting Arsenal to the fact, in a case of "
tapping-upIn professional team sports, tapping up or tampering is an attempt to persuade a player contracted to one team to transfer to another team, without the knowledge or permission of the player's current team. This kind of approach is often made through the player's agent...
". Found guilty, he was fined £100,000 by the Premier League on 2 June 2005 for a meeting in a hotel in January 2005 between himself, the Chelsea manager
José MourinhoJosé Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho,
GOIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is the current manager of Italian Serie A team Internazionale, to whom he is contracted for the following three seasons....
, Chelsea chief executive,
Peter KenyonPeter Kenyon is a British businessman who has served as the chief executive of English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea Football Club.-Early life:Kenyon was educated in Tameside at West Hill School....
, and his agent
Jonathan BarnettJonathan Barnett is a Football agent and is the Chairman and founder of Stellar Group Limited. He is credited as being the man who brought Lennox Lewis into the Boxing world....
. An appeal in August 2005 did not reject the guilty verdict, but his fine was reduced to £75,000. Chelsea were also fined £300,000 and Mourinho was fined £200,000, reduced on appeal in August 2005 to £75,000. Barnett's licence was suspended for 18 months and he was also fined £100,000.
Cole signed a one year extension to his contract on 18 July 2005, but a year later departed from the club in acrimonious circumstances. On 15 July 2006, Cole launched a verbal attack on Arsenal; in his
autobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, quoted in
The SunThe Sun may refer to -* The Sun a tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland* Sun, the star at the center of the Solar System...
, Ashley Cole claimed that the Arsenal board had treated him as a "scapegoat" and that they had "fed him to the sharks" over the tapping up affair, disregarding the fact that Cole himself could have avoided the whole affair by not discussing a possible move to a rival club behind Arsenal's back, and the fact that Arsenal were legally obliged to punish Cole for his illegal courting of Chelsea. Cole was deliberately left out of Arsenal's
2006–07The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.- Overview :* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
team photograph, refuelling press speculation that he would become a Chelsea player.
On 28 July, Arsenal vice-chairman
David DeinDavid Barry Charles Dein is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club and former vice-chairman of the Football Association. He was also the chairman of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007. In August 2007 he sold his shares in Arsenal F.C...
had confirmed that Arsenal and Chelsea had been in "civil talks" about the player. Chelsea insisted they would not raise their £16million bid for the left back, but Arsenal held out for at a higher valuation of £25million. Negotiations continued throughout August and looked to be heading for deadlock, but eventually Cole signed for Chelsea on 31 August for a fee of £5million, with
William GallasWilliam Éric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for English Premier League club Arsenal and the French national team. Regarded as a highly capable player, he primarily plays as a centre-back....
also going the other way. The deal was closed after the transfer window had officially ended, and was not confirmed until an hour and a half after the deadline had passed.
Cole was vilified by Arsenal fans following his decision to leave the club, with many alleging that he had moved to Chelsea for the sake of a higher wage. He is now irreverently known as "Cashley" to most football fans because of this. The hostility toward Cole is mostly fuelled by comments made in his biography over Arsenal not willing to inflate his wage to one he deemed proportionate to his skills, and the fact that he almost crashed his car in anger when told the board would not bend to his demands.
Chelsea
Cole was given the number 3 shirt at Chelsea, and made his first appearance for the club as a substitute for
Wayne BridgeWayne Michael Bridge is an English football defender, who plays as a left back for Manchester City and the England national team.-Southampton:...
in their 2–1 win over
Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich...
on 9 September. He also issued a public statement deemed "staggering in both its arrogance and ignorance", saying he "forgave" Arsenal for how he felt he was treated during his time there. However, he was not forgiven by Arsenal's fans, as they dubbed him "Cashley" and waved fake £20 notes with his face when Chelsea met Arsenal at
Stamford BridgeStamford Bridge is a football stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that is home to Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green. It is nicknamed "The Bridge" by the club's supporters...
on 12 December.
On 31 January 2007, Cole suffered a serious knee injury in the 3–0 victory over
Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire.The club was established in 1875, becoming a founding member of The Football League in 1888. It is one of only three clubs to have been both a founder member of the Football League...
in a Premier League game at
Stamford BridgeStamford Bridge is a football stadium on the border of Fulham and Chelsea, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham that is home to Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green. It is nicknamed "The Bridge" by the club's supporters...
, although after a scan it was revealed to be not as bad as first thought, with Chelsea optimistic that he would return before the end of the 2006–07 season. Cole did indeed make a return at the end of the season, playing in the last twelve minutes of the
2007 FA Cup FinalThe 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
at the new Wembley Stadium against
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
. Chelsea emerged triumphant, 1-0 after extra-time with a goal scored by
Didier DrogbaDidier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League and is the captain and all-time leading scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
, to win the 2007 FA Cup.
In, Cole was reportedly one of the players upset when
Jose MourinhoJosé Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho,
GOIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is the current manager of Italian Serie A team Internazionale, to whom he is contracted for the following three seasons....
was relieved of his position as Chelsea manager. He was dropped in favour of Wayne Bridge for the 2008
League CupIn association football a League Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in the top national league...
final, which Chelsea lost 2-1 to
SpursTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
. However, Cole scored his first Chelsea goal in Chelsea's very next game, on 1 March 2008, the fourth goal in a 4-0 away victory against
West HamWest Ham United Football Club is an English football club based in Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, East London. They have played their home matches at the Boleyn Ground stadium since 1904....
. On 19 March 2008, Cole was involved in a controversial incident in a Premier League game against
TottenhamTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
at
White Hart LaneWhite Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,310....
where he committed a dangerous high tackle on Tottenham's
Alan HuttonAlan Hutton is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and also the Scottish national team. He is a right back.-Rangers:...
. Although it is a widely held view that Cole should have received a straight red card, referee
Mike RileyMichael Anthony Riley Michael Anthony Riley Michael Anthony Riley (born is a former English football referee from Leeds in West Yorkshire, who oversees matches in the Football League, FA Premier League and for FIFA.-Career:...
gave Cole a yellow card. Moreover, Cole caused even more disgust as he turned his back on the referee and shouted abuse before receiving the card, sparking not only more outrage at Cole's continuing insubordinate behaviour, but also debate within the sports media over the game's rules on dissent towards officials.
In Chelsea's final Premier League match of the season against
SunderlandSunderland Association Football Club are a professional association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, that compete in the Premier League. Since their formation in 1879, they have won six First Division titles—in 1892, 1893, 1895, 1902, 1913, and 1936 Sunderland Association...
at the
Stadium of LightThe Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C...
, Cole scored his second Chelsea goal in the Blues' 3-2 win.
After starting Chelsea's first six games of the 2009-10 season, Cole scored his third and fourth Chelsea goals at home to Burnley and Tottenham.
On 2 September 2009 Cole signed a new four-year deal which will tie him to Chelsea until 2013.
International career
Cole has played for
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
at youth and senior levels. He was capped for the
England U-20The England national under-20 football team represents England in international football at this age level and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
team at the 1999
FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
alongside Stuart Taylor,
Peter CrouchPeter James Crouch is an English international footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur. At 6 ft 7 in , he is the tallest man ever to play for the England national team, and was the tallest outfield player in the Premier League until Stefan Maierhofer signed for Wolves in August 2009...
, Andrew Johnson and
Matthew EtheringtonMatthew Etherington is an English footballer. Etherington, a left-sided midfielder and winger, plays for Premier League club Stoke City.-Peterborough United:...
. However, the team finished bottom of their group, suffering three defeats without scoring any goals. He also made four appearances for
England under-21sEngland's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
, scoring once.
Cole made his senior England début against
AlbaniaThe Albania national football team is the national football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania. Although not considered as one of the strongest footballing sides in Europe, Albanians are passionate about their football and the national team has occasionally...
, on 28 March 2001. He played for England at the
2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia...
and UEFA Euro 2004, and was named as one of four England players in the all-star squad for the latter tournament. Cole was also an ever-present for England in the
2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th instance of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000...
; in their second round match against
EcuadorThe Ecuadorian national football team is controlled by the Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol and represents Ecuador in international football competitions...
he made a crucial block, deflecting
Carlos TenorioCarlos Vicente Tenorio Medina is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays for Emirati club Al-Nasr. Tenorio is an experienced striker known for his heading ability.-Club career:He began his career with LDU Quito. In Tenorio's early years...
's shot onto the crossbar. The match ended with England winning 1–0, but England were knocked out on
penaltiesA penalty shootout or simply shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to penalty shots, with a single player...
by
PortugalThe Portuguese national football team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation , finishing 4th at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The first appearance in the 1966 FIFA World Cup saw them reach the semifinal, losing 2 – 1 at Wembley to the eventual world champions England. Portugal finished in...
in the quarter-finals. By the end of 2008, Cole had achieved 68 caps for England, all of which were starting appearances.
Personal life
His father, Ron Callender, is from
BarbadosBarbados , situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent West Indian Continental Island-nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. For over three centuries Barbados was a colony and protectorate of the United Kingdom; and still currently maintains Queen Elizabeth II as head of state...
but left the family seven years after his parents had married. His Father later moved to
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
. Ashley and his younger brother Matthew were brought up by his white mother Sue Cole.
Since 15 July 2006, he has been married to
Girls AloudGirls Aloud are a UK girl group that were created on the ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The group, consisting of Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles , two UK...
singer
Cheryl ColeCheryl Ann Cole is an English singer, songwriter, dancer, fashion designer, author, and television personality. Cole rose to fame in the 2000s after becoming a member of pop group Girls Aloud through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
. They had been together since September 2004. In January 2008, the couple almost separated after allegations were made that Cole had affairs with three other women, however he disputes the allegations, and has stayed with Cheryl.
Cole released an autobiography in 2006,
My Defence, which sold only 4,000 copies in the first six weeks of release. Cole's former teammate,
Jens LehmannJens Lehmann is a German football goalkeeper who currently plays for Stuttgart and recently retired from the German national team...
, criticised Cole for writing an autobiography when he was only 25.
While researching for his autobiography, Cole discovered he is a distant cousin of the pop star
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have her first five singles top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart...
.
Newspaper controversy
In 2006, Cole sued the
News of the WorldThe News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is published by News Group Newspapers of News International, itself a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and can be considered the Sunday sister paper of The Sun. The newspaper concentrates on...
and
The SunThe Sun may refer to -* The Sun a tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland* Sun, the star at the center of the Solar System...
newspapers for libel after they printed allegations that he was "a raging queer". Both the
News of the World and
The Sun later retracted the allegations.
Arrest
On 4 March 2009, Cole was held after swearing in front of a police officer outside a Central London nightclub. Police said a 28-year-old man was held in Brompton Road,
South KensingtonSouth Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
, at about 02:15 GMT. He was taken to a
police stationA police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.-Regional...
and given an £80 fixed penalty which he could not afford to pay, and released at about 05:30 GMT on the same day. Mr Ando, a BBC reporter said:
"Cole was held after swearing repeatedly in front of a police officer and refusing to calm down after emerging from Collections Nightclub in South Kensington at around 2am."
Career stats
- As of 13 October 2009
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1999-00-Overview:The 1999–2000 season saw the league dispense with the traditional 1–11 numbering of players' shirts in favour of squad numbers, a system that had been adopted by the Premier League a few seasons before...
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Crystal Palace (loan)Crystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where it has been based since 1924. The club is competing in the second tier of English Football, The Championship for the 2009-2010...
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First DivisionThe First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...
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ArsenalArsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
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2000-01The FA Premier League 2000-01 season was the third season running which ended with Manchester United as champions and Arsenal as runners-up...
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2001-02The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
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2002-03The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
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2003-04The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was mainly contended between Arsenal, Chelsea and to some extent, Manchester United. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
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2004-05The 2004-05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season. Manchester United had won the FA Cup after beating surprise team Millwall who gained a UEFA Cup place...
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2005-06The 2005-06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
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2006-07The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
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ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
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Club playing honours
Arsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club are an English professional football club based in Holloway, North London...
- FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
: 2001-02 , 2003-04
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
: 2002The 2002 FA Cup Final was the final match of the 2001-02 FA Cup competition. It was an all-London affair between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium on 4 May 2002...
, 2003, 2005
- FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup, though this tradition was only established twenty years into the fixture's existence...
: 2002The 2002 FA Community Shield was a football match played on 11 August 2002 between 2001-02 Double winners Arsenal and 2001-02 Premier League runners-up Liverpool. Arsenal won the game 1–0 in normal time. Gilberto Silva scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute...
, 2004The 2004 FA Community Shield was the 83rd FA Community Shield, a football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
- UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
: 2006The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17 May 2006, to...
- Runner-Up
Chelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
- FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
: 2007The 2007 FA Cup Final was played on Saturday, 19 May 2007 between Chelsea and Manchester United, who had come up against Premier League opposition in every round. It was the 126th FA Cup Final and the first to be played at the new Wembley Stadium...
, 2009The 2009 FA Cup Final was the 128th final of the world's oldest domestic football cup competition, the FA Cup. The final was played at Wembley Stadium in London on 30 May 2009 and marked the third time that the final has been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt...
- League Cup
In association football a League Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in the top national league...
: 2007The 2007 Carling Cup Final was played on Sunday, 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was contested between Arsenal and Chelsea, making it the first all-London final in the competition's history; the two sides had previously met in Cardiff for the 2002 FA Cup Final. The game...
- FA Community Shield
The Football Association Community Shield is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup, though this tradition was only established twenty years into the fixture's existence...
: 2009The 2009 FA Community Shield was the 87th FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions...
- UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
: 2008The 2008 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 at 19:45 BST . The match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, to determine the winner of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League...
- Runner-Up
International playing honours
England National Football TeamThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
- FA Summer Tournament: 2004
Individual playing honours
- PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year award is given to a set of forty-four footballers in the top four flights of English football, the Premier League; the Championship; League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The...
: 2002, 2004, 2005
- UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football...
: 2004
- Chelsea
Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
Players' Player of the Year: 2009
External links