Nicknamed "Cashley" by disgruntled Arsenal fans following his defection to Chelsea, Cole has also been booed by the England supporters at Wembley and generally vilified by the tabloid press.

Despite all that, Cole has still established himself as one the best left-backs in the world. Nurtured through Arsenal's youth ranks by Arsene Wenger, Cole really came of age at Euro 2004 when he produced an almost perfect performance at left-back to mark Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo out of their quarter-final clash.

On his return to domestic football, Cole was "tapped-up" by Premier League rivals Chelsea in 2005 and was fined £100,000 for meeting Blues' representatives in a hotel. He eventually moved to Stamford Bridge in July 2006 following a contract wrangle with the Gunners that saw his popularity hit a new low.

Despite winning the double with the Gunners in 2001-02 and being part of the 'Invincibles' side that won the league unbeaten in 2004-05, he is not remembered fondly at the Emirates.

However, he has been a leading star at Stamford Bridge, winning more FA Cup titles than any other player, and his reputation as a trouble-maker has started to fade.

Strengths: Pacy, with great powers of recovery, and when he is on his game he is very difficult to beat. Very good at getting forward to supplement the attack.

Weaknesses: His size can leave him vulnerable in an aerial battle.

Career high: Scoring in the penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.

Career low: The ill-fated publication of his book, My Defence, which was supposed to set the record straight about his exit from Arsenal but backfired spectacularly.

Style: Quick, attacking, a defender with great stamina.

Quotes: "When I heard Jonathan [Cole's agent] repeat the figure of £55k-a-week, I nearly swerved off the road. 'He is taking the piss, Jonathan!' I yelled down the phone. I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger. I couldn't believe what I'd heard." Ashley Cole after being offered a mere £55,000-a-week by Arsenal.

Trivia: In September 2007, the Daily Star reported that R&B diva Mariah Carey discovered she was a distant cousin of Ashley Cole whilst researching whether she was related to jazz legend Nat King Cole.