Parlour: We all knew Cole was destined for greatness
Arsenal legend Ray Parlour recalls the emergence of Ashley Cole as a first-team regular at Arsenal, saying the left-back stood out as a very promising player.
Cole went on to win two league titles and three FA Cups with the Gunners before a controversial switch to rivals Chelsea, a move Parlour believes manager Arsène Wenger regrets.
The former midfield man has revealed Wenger was always a big fan of Cole, and that the England left-back was popular with his team-mates at Highbury.
Parlour explained: "He went with a real sour note from Arsenal. It's a shame because Arsène Wenger loved him as a player. The players who were there really liked his company.
"When he come into the squad, I'm going back quite a few years now, he sat with the older boys you know, the likes of Tony Adams, myself and people like that. He was very quiet, he just got on with his business.
"We all knew he was a great player, he was going to be a very, very good player. He had a little bit of luck as it looked like he was going to move to Crystal Palace at one stage but Sylvinho had the wrong passport so he ended up staying. In the end Arsène Wenger, when he put him in that team, knew he was going to be a top, top player.
"People like Tony Adams, who've been in the game and played with people like Kenny Sansom for England, said to me straight away, 'that left-back is going to be a top, top player.' He was right, he is a top player."
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He went with a real sour note from Arsenal. It's a shame because Arsène Wenger loved him as a player. The players who were there really liked his company.
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