Former Chelsea defender Ashley Cole was one of the best defenders in the world during his prime. The player made things extremely difficult for goalscorers like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The defender has, however, confessed as to who has a better right foot between Ronaldo and Messi.
When asked about it in an interview with Goal, the former Chelsea player admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo has the best right foot he has ever seen.
Cole revealed, “I was going to say David Beckham here because I think he could put a ball on a sixpence, but I think I will go for Ronaldo. Ronaldo could go inside and out. Also, the quality of his right foot, the quality of his shooting from every angle and different ranges, the quality of his free-kicks with the bend he could get on the ball, he was fantastic.”
ASHLEY COLE:
“Ronaldo could go inside and out. Also, the quality of his right foot, the quality of his shooting from every angle and different ranges, the quality of his free-kicks with the bend he could get on the ball, he was fantastic.”pic.twitter.com/18oWkpz9Ei
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) August 4, 2023
The 42-year-old further added, “He was one you just couldn’t give any space to. So, it was about being on the front foot, being aggressive, and trying to get out to him and not let him get his head up and start doing the stepovers. It was about understanding that ‘I can’t let balls go in behind me.’ I had to allow them go to his feet, but get out quick to him and stop him at source.”
The former Real Madrid player faced Ashley Cole during his first stint at Old Trafford when he started as a winger in the Manchester United squad.
Ashely Cole admits Cristiano Ronaldo was not his toughest challenge
The former Arsenal defender was asked who was the toughest opponent he faced in his soccer career. The player chooses former Barcelona player Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cole shared, “It has to be Messi. People talk about Ronaldo more because I played against him more. But I think to mark Messi, on his day… he was just too good for me. But, again, he’s never scored.”
Ashley Cole on Messi & Ronaldo debate :
“People talk about Ronaldo, bc I have played more against him. But Lionel Messi was the toughest, he was too good for me ” 👏💥pic.twitter.com/qWgjVxoH9O#Messi𓃵
— Miami Messi 🇺🇲🦩 (@SemperFiMessi) August 3, 2023
On the other hand, the former Manchester United player had named Cole as the toughest defender he ever faced. He shared, “Over the years I had some great battles with Ashley Cole, he does not give you a second to breathe.”
He further added, “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.”
The English player reportedly used to analyze the Portuguese player’s every move in the dressing room before the start of the match. Not many defenders could outdo Ronaldo during his peak. However, Ashley Cole was one of the very few defenders to do so, thus giving a testament to his defending abilities.