Why Ronaldo Was My Toughest Opponent – Ashley Cole

Ashley Cole, who was just inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, chose Cristiano Ronaldo as the most formidable opponent he has ever faced.

The former player for Chelsea and Arsenal was named the inaugural inductee into the 2024 Premier League Hall of Fame by the Premier League on Monday. Cole said of the Portuguese superstar Ronaldo that he is the hardest opponent he has ever faced in his career after obtaining the honour.

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Cole described the Al-Nassr star as a complete footballer and revealed how the ex-United winger quickly adjusted to the English top-tier football after coming as a youngster from Sporting CP. The English full-back also claimed that the Portuguese gave him nightmares on the pitch.

Speaking about Ronaldo, Cole 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 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]”

The 39-year-old, who missed last week’s match against Sweden, has now joined the Portugal team. On Tuesday, he will play in an international friendly against Slovenia.