Ashley Cole picked Ronaldo & Ronaldinho but not Messi for his 'Perfect Player' in 2020

Ashley Cole was the world’s best left-back in his prime.

Of all the world-class players that England had at their fingertips during the heralded ‘Golden Generation’, Cole was arguably the only one who consistently stood head and shoulders above his peers in the same position.

By the time that Roberto Carlos was winding down his career and Cole was coming into his own at Chelsea, there was seldom a winger or forward who could even dream of getting past him.

It is, after all, football’s worst-kept secret that Cristiano Ronaldo considers the former Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ member to bet his toughest ever opponent and you can see why from their various clashes together.

Whether it was their furious battles in the Premier League or Cole’s masterclass at Euro 2004, the one-on-one wars between the two players highlighted exactly why they have so much respect for one another.

And the feeling remains mutual all these years later with Cole tipping his hat to Ronaldo when he was asked to build ‘My Perfect Player’ during a fascinating interview with Goal back in 2020.

The Manchester United star was given the nod as Cole worked his way through eight key categories: right foot, left foot, speed, stamina, strength, heading, skills and footballing brain.

Asking one of the greatest defenders of the modern era to talk about their finest ever opponents and teammates is interesting enough, but it was even more fascinating to note that Lionel Messi didn’t make the cut.

The Paris Saint-Germain hero was name-dropped on several occasions and don’t think for a second that Cole doesn’t respect him – quite the opposite – but it was nevertheless intriguing to see other top-class stars getting called up ahead of him.

But don’t let us tease you any