The legendary player Ashley Cole has been inducted into the recently created Premier League Hall of Fame.
Cole has a lengthy rap sheet in the Premier League and currently serves as the first-team coach for EFL Birmingham FC. His phenomenal defensive qualities and technical skill on the offensive led to him being commonly referred to as one of the greatest defenders the league has ever seen.
For reference, Cole won three Premier League titles during those 15 seasons and also was part of the invincible Arsenal team that went undefeated during the 03/04 season. He made 385 appearances in total in the Premier League, with 15 goals, 31 assists, and 147 clean sheets. Cole was a favorite for fans and punters alike, with millions undoubtedly being bet on him and his teams over the years. If you wish you had gotten in on the action, perhaps a quick refresher on how to bet on sports is right up your alley. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of betting or not, though, you can easily see why Cole is considered one of the best defenders of all time.
The Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters was happy to see Cole awarded the honor, saying, If you ask people for the best full-back in Premier League history, many of them would name Ashley Cole. He excelled for title-winning Arsenal and Chelsea sides and helped to redefine the position thanks to his defensive and attacking qualities.
“After breaking through as a youngster at Arsenal, he will always be remembered as part of the iconic ‘Invincibles’ team, whose achievements remain unprecedented to this day. He continued his winning ways at Chelsea, forming a key part of one of the highest-scoring sides we have ever seen, and we are delighted to welcome him as the latest inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame.”
Cole had the following to say about being inducted into the PL Hall of Fame, “I’m honored to join the Premier League Hall of Fame. It’s humbling and fulfilling to be rewarded at the end of your career. I went through my career just trying to give my best and be good enough. You take it day by day and game by game. As a young kid, you never dream of any of this and you just do it for the love of the game of football.”
He would go on to say, “I played for some fantastic clubs with incredible fans. Winning trophies with my boyhood club Arsenal and with Chelsea are amazing memories that will always be with me. It’s emotional to reflect because a lot of hard work has been put in. To join the Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, and Rio Ferdinand, I’m privileged to be in their company.”
What is the Premier League Hall of Fame?
If you haven’t been following the Premier League in recent years, you might have missed the creation of the Premier League Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was created to recognize and give praise to individuals who have had a profound effect on the Premier League since its creation in 1992. It is the single highest award you can receive within the league, and is considered one of the greatest honors in football at this time.
The first round of inductees found their way into the Hall of Fame back in 2021, with David Beckham (a player who almost signed for Bolton Wanderers), Eric Cantona, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Alan Shearer marking the first wave. 2022 saw Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Peter Schmeichel, Patrick Vieira, Paul Scholes, and Ian Wright inducted.
Each person who gets inducted receives a medallion with their name and the year. They also are given a £10,000 donation to a charity of their choosing, courtesy of the Premier League.
For a player to be eligible to join the Premier League Hall of Fame, they had to have retired as of January 1st this year. For consideration, the committee only takes into account their achievements in the Premier League, meaning that any achievements in previous leagues and games are not considered.
Voting on Who’s Next to Join the Premier League Hall of Fame
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the Premier League, as you get to vote on who the next two inductees will be to join Cole in the Class of 2024 and earn their own medal. There are currently 15 players eligible for voting, which closes on April 8th at noon BST. The players are as follows:
- Sol Campbell 1992 – 2011
- Michael Carrick 1998 – 2018
- Andrew Cole 1993 – 2008
- Jermain Defore 1998 – 2020
- Cesc Fabregas 2003 – 2011 & 2014 – 2019
- Les Ferdinand 1992 – 2004
- Robbie Fowler 1993 – 2008
- Eden Hazard 2012 – 2019
- Gary Neville 1993 – 2011
- Michael Owen 1996 – 2004 & 2005 – 2013
- David Silva 2010 – 2020
- John Terry 1998 – 2017
- Yaya Toure 2010 – 2018
- Edwin Van Der Sar 2001 – 2011
- Nemanja Vidic 2006 – 2014
You can place your votes for who should join Cole in the Premier League Hall of Fame on the Premier League site or through their mobile app. Time is ticking, so be sure to get your votes in soon.
