Former Arsenal defender Gael Clichy has now revealed what Ashley Cole was really like behind-the-scenes at Highbury Stadium.
Gale Clichy joined Arsenal when he was just a teenager.
Arriving at Highbury Stadium from Cannes in 2003, the French youngster came into a dressing room full of established stars. In his first season in north London, Clichy made 12 Premier League appearances, as he helped Arsene Wenger’s side to an historic unbeaten title-winning campaign in the side that is now remembered as the Invincibles.
The Arsenal dressing room at that time was full of world-class talents, such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, and club captain Patrick Vieira, amongst others. All are now regarded as bona fide Arsenal legends.
As a young left-back, Clichy found himself serving as the understudy to Ashley Cole. He was given opportunities to shine, though. Wenger was extremely encouraging of Clichy in his early days.
Gael Clichy reveals what Ashley Cole was really like at Arsenal
Cole came through the Arsenal academy system and made his senior debut for the Gunners in 1999. By the time he left the club in 2006, the defender had made 228 appearances for Arsenal, had won two Premier League titles and three FA Cup crowns, and had established himself as one of the best full-backs in world football. Cole’s departure from Arsenal can now be viewed as something of a watershed moment in the club’s history.
In an interview with Arsenal’s official website, Clichy has now provided an insight into what Cole was like when they both shared a dressing room. The 20-cap former France international said, “every week I was taking English lessons because I wanted to be close to everyone in the dressing room, not just the French players, and obviously Ashley was somebody I wanted to get to know because nobody could match his ability as a player. His attitude was always about giving his best, he had respect and he trained with a smile on his face.”
“He was always 8/10 every game – that’s a hell of a mentor and he was always available for me. I was very lucky to arrive in that dressing room, because there were no bad eggs in there…Ashley was one of those guys, and no ‘perhaps’, he was the best left-back in the world. So Arsenal was the best club for me at that time, but you also need to have the right attitude to want to live alongside those players.”
What is the Arsenal dressing room like under Mikel Arteta?
Arsenal have not won the Premier League title since the Invincibles did it in 2004. Mikel Arteta is now seeking to bring the glory days back to the Emirates Stadium. The Spanish coach has fostered a winning mentality and sense of ruthless professionalism in the Arsenal dressing room which would feel familiar to Clichy.
A young player such as Ethan Nwaneri, who now finds himself on the outskirts of the Arsenal first-team, may now be having an experience similar to Clichy’s own. The Hale End academy ace will be looking up to and learning from the likes of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, amongst others.
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