When Ashley Cole travelled to the 2002 World Cup at just 21 years of age, the then Arsenal full-back was among the youngest players in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England squad.

The tournament marked the beginning of what would become a highly successful international career for Cole, who later established himself as one of the greatest left-backs ever to wear the Three Lions jersey. For him, it was an eventful introduction to life on the world stage.

More than twenty years later, Cole still regards that summer as one of the most defining phases of his career, even though it ended in heartbreak.

When asked to name his favourite major tournament with England, the former Chelsea and Arsenal defender quickly recalls his first experience of international competition.

“I think my first, 2002, just to understand I was capable of playing with top players and doing OK at major tournaments,” Cole told FourFourTwo.

He added, “We went to Japan and it was the first time I was around big names, representing my country at a major tournament. I thought I did well, but knew there were still levels to reach.”

Cole would go on to show that he was indeed capable of reaching those higher levels, amassing 107 England caps over his career. Yet, one regret continues to linger.

“The regret is I never played in a final for my country,” he admitted. “We played in a lot of other finals [at club level], but not at a World Cup or Euros, that part is disappointing.”

England’s 2002 journey came to an end in the quarter-finals against Brazil, when Ronaldinho’s audacious free-kick looped over David Seaman and dipped under the crossbar. The goal has been debated for years, but Cole remains uncertain whether it was intentional.

“If he did, that just sums him up,” Cole said. “He was a genius, and to put it where he put it at that moment in the game… I don’t know, only he knows the truth.”

Earlier in the tournament, England had managed to overcome South American rivals Argentina in the group stage, courtesy of a David Beckham penalty. The victory came four years after the infamous clash at France ’98, where the Argentinians had celebrated by banging on the England team bus windows.

Reflecting on that moment, Cole said, “There was something about swapping shirts. I think we wanted to swap shirts and someone said: ‘No, they won’t swap because something happened in 1998.’ I wanted to swap – I might have even done it, I think I got Ariel Ortega’s shirt. It was amazing to win that game. The stadium we played in was indoors.”

Could It Be Coming Home? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, the official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. The show is available on YouTube and Spotify, and can also be streamed on other podcast platforms.

Chris Flanagan
Senior Staff Writer