It’s a shame because Ashley Cole truly was a great of the Premier League. Born in London, Cole was initially a forward at youth level, but when he was 14 (at Arsenal's academy) he opted to fill in at left-back following an injury to a defender playing two age groups above him. He went on to make his Arsenal debut at the tender age of 18 (in the League Cup against Middlesbrough in the 1999-2000 season), and such was Cole’s early impact at Highbury, Patrick Vieira compared the Englishman to Milan legend Paolo Maldini.