Ashley Cole

[The Skipper 20,593]

L3G3ND.

[Ze Mario 638]

This is the one image that'll define his Chelsea career for me :

Go well, Ash.

Massive moment, amazing mental ability. The act of Neuer jumping a trampoline didnt scare him a little bit.

Definitely want him for another year, playing and tutoring. But oh well, its not appropriate to hamper a man's dream

Wish you all the luck in the world, Ash!!

[iseah100 5,612]

NOOOOO!!!!:/ CAME HOME TO THIS NEWS, I'm almost in tears, I didn't really think he'd leave.... fml.

[robdog 2,084]

I must admit I didn't trust him when he first came from le arse. We already had Wayne Bridge, but Cole made me a believer. In fact dude was on top of his game in 06 & probably the Best LB on the planet. I saw him win many times for the Chels, but the one for me is when I went to Da Bridge & Ashley Cole won the match for the Chels. I wish he would have scored vs lpuke. He had an awesome shot in that match but the gk was up to it. Still Dude played in some of our most important matches & will probably the Club's Best LB ever. Will always be a Chelsea Legend in my eyes.

[Jase 43,479]

I guess that time has come to say goodbye. Thank you Ash. Thank you for everything. It was a pleasure to have watched you own that LB spot for so many years and putting in consistent performances week in week out that few can match. You will be missed and so would your commitment, passion, determination and drive to succeed (and not to mention, those massive goal line clearances!).

[laeth 527]

Announced on Twitter he is leaving.

Thanks for everything Ashley! True Chelsea legend and the best left back in the world in his prime!

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Legend.

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

And now I'll be looking for another journey in my life hope it can be like my others full of fun and of course WIN something,

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Thank You Ash!

[Pot Noodle 9]

Never put a foot wrong for us, will support him wherever he goes. Quality player.

[Ljpaddock 187]

Can see united slithering about here

[Peppen 934]

Legend. <3

[Thendo 1,088]

Legend!

[Special Juan 27,421]

Legend, thanks Ashley.

[Roquila 1,335]

Goodbye legend! I'm glad you had a great time here and that you managed to beat that gooner inside of you out.

[haranr 485]

Sign him up for another year wtf board.

[bushman 2,043]

Sign him up for another year wtf board.

Do you think Chelsea´s board has any say here?

I do not. The way Cole was treated by Jose it resulted in not getting on England´s national team.

So, I am not surprised to see him leaving Chelsea. Basically, what he is saying, thanks Chelsea but fuck you.

[Jype 6,398]

Do you think Chelsea´s board has any say here?

I do not. The way Cole was treated by Jose it resulted in not getting on England´s national team.

So, I am not surprised to see him leaving Chelsea. Basically, what he is saying, thanks Chelsea but fuck you.

The only reason Cole was still here in the first place was because of Mourinho. Without Jose's request the board would have let him go last year due to there being some bad blood between some of the old guard and the board ever since the players revolted against AVB. Villas-Boas later turned out to be a clueless mug so in this case I suppose the players were right to make his situation uncomfortable but they still lost the trust of the board that season and rightly so because the way AVB got treated was a disgrace, mostly because the club had spent so much money to get him in charge and many believed he at least deserved a chance which in the end he was never given.

This time last year Mourinho got the board to agree new deals with both Lamps and Cole but Ash didn't do anything to deserve another hefty contract, quite the opposite really because he lost his place early in the season to a player playing out of his natural position, so from a footballing perspective it's an easy decision to let him go. On an emotional level it's more difficult to say goodbye to a long serving fan favorite such as Cole but the financial reality these days is that the club can't afford to offer a +100k a week contract to a player who contributes fuck all on the pitch.

Don't really understand where you're getting the "thanks Chelsea but fuck you" part from. He seems genuinely happy to have been at the club for 8 years and is now thanking everyone who made his time at Chelsea a pleasant one. Did you consider Drogba to have said fuck you to the club as well two years ago?