Ashley Cole says he does not think he will be at Chelsea next
season and is seeking “another journey in my life” after eight years at
Stamford Bridge. The 33-year-old left-back, who announced his England
retirement after 107 caps earlier this month, is out of contract this summer.
“I am weighing up my options for playing next season with
my agent,”
“Sadly, it does not look like Chelsea will be one of
them.”
Cole helped Chelsea win the Premier League title in 2010
as well as the 2012 Champions League.
He has also won four FA Cups with the Blues, to add to
the three he secured with Arsenal, following his move to Stamford Bridge from
the Gunners in August 2006. Cole won the 2007 League Cup with Chelsea and was
part of the club’s Europa League triumph under interim manager Rafael Benitez
in 2013. But he endured a frustrating 2013-14 campaign under returning manager
Jose Mourinho, starting just 15 Premier League games in a trophy-less season
for the Blues.
“Now I’ll be looking for another journey in my life,”
added Cole. “I hope it can be like my others, full of fun and of course win
something.” Cole signed a one-year extension to his Chelsea contract, which was
due to expire last summer, in January 2013. But with a new deal at Stamford
Bridge looking unlikely, Cole has resigned himself to leaving after 229 Premier
League appearances.
“Thank you Chelsea for making my eight years a pleasure.
We’ve been through a lot, good and bad,” continued Cole. “And of course the
fans. How do I start, I can only say thank you for giving the boys confidence
to win some amazing trophies.
“To the fans that have stood buy me through thick and
thin, I will always have you in my heart.”
Earlier this month, Chelsea boss Mourinho said he did not
think Cole would leave the club.
“I don’t know but I don’t think so. The club knows my
opinion,” said the Portuguese.
Last week Chelsea captain John Terry signed a new
one-year deal to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2015. But the future of
long-serving midfielder Frank Lampard, who is also out of contract this summer,
has yet to be decided.
Cole retired from international football earlier this
month after manager Roy Hodgson left him out of England’s World Cup squad. He
made his international debut against Albania in March 2001 and went on to
become only the seventh England player to reach a century of caps when he
appeared in a friendly win over Brazil in February 2013.
Former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen, on his final Match
of the Day appearance, said Cole was one of the greatest players the Premier
League has seen. “As a full-back for Arsenal, Chelsea and England there is
nobody better in Premier League history,” said the eight-time title winner.
“I would have taken him [to the World Cup] but I can
understand why Roy Hodgson hasn’t.
“I watched him play in the Champions League and against Liverpool
and he was excellent.
“But he hasn’t been playing a lot and that’s probably the
reason why Roy hasn’t taken him.”
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