“He always gave me nightmares” - Chelsea legend recalls battles with Cristiano Ronaldo
Chelsea legend Ashley Cole has named former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponent. He said that the Portuguese star was always learning and adapting as he wanted to be the best in the world.
Cole has been named as the new inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame and was talking to the official website. When asked about his toughest opponent, the Chelsea legend said:
"Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo and I had some mighty battles and we have a mutual respect for each other. He came to the Premier League as a little bit of an unknown, but he soon understood what it took to be a top player. He was willing to learn and adapt. He wanted to be the best player in the world and became a machine."
He added:
"He had everything. He could dribble, he could sprint behind, he could leap and jump and head a ball, he could go inside, he could go outside. So I say he always gave me nightmares, but you try to work each other out and we got the best of each other at times.
"Whenever I hear his name or see his face, I always think of when he made me do the splits! [in 2003/04, Ronaldo's first Premier League season]"
Ashley Cole faced Cristiano Ronaldo four times when he was with Arsenal – winning just once and losing twice. With Chelsea, the defender won twice in his eight meetings against the Portuguese in all competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo named Ashley Cole as his toughest opponent
Cristiano Ronaldo was in conversation with Coach Mag in 2016 when he was quizzed about his toughest opponent. He was quick to name Chelsea legend Ashley Cole and said that the left-back was never giving him a moment to breathe.
He said:
"Over the years, I had some great battles with Ashley Cole; he does not give you a second to breathe. He was such a tenacious player when he was at his peak, quick, tough in the tackle. You knew it would never be an easy game."
Despite naming the Chelsea legend as his toughest opponent, Cristiano Ronaldo has ended up on the winning side in eight of the 14 matches they have faced each other. The Portuguese has lost just thrice against the Englishman in all meetings, with club and country.