http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/...e.html?ITO=1490

Fabio Capello adores him, Jose Mourinho considers him one of the finest professionals he has ever encountered and even his wife says he has 'a beautiful soul'.

So what's the problem with Ashley Cole? Why, when he is so widely regarded as the world's best left back and such an integral part of the England team Capello will take to South Africa next summer, does he continue to attract more sneers than cheers?

The answer, to many, is an obvious one. It's the public image that seems to rank him somewhere between Jack Tweed and Douglas Hogg in the popularity stakes. The allegations of infidelity. The line in his book about almost swerving off the road when his agent informed him of Arsenal's measly offer of £55,000 a week. That meeting with Chelsea in a London hotel suite. People started to call him 'Cashley' rather than Ashley and he accused Arsenal of feeding him 'to the sharks'. 'They treated me like a scapegoat,' he bleated. And so on and so on.

He suffers partly, it would seem, because people love his wife Cheryl in a way that they have never really warmed to Victoria Beckham. All was quickly forgotten when husband David had to deal with similar allegations, but Cole has had no such luck. Almost two years on from those lurid red-top reports he is still taking plenty of flak.

It was around the time of the allegations that Capello became England's manager and around the time that the Italian and his staff were warned of the problems they might encounter. They were told that some members of the England dressing room 'acted like the big star'. That respect for the new manager could be an issue.

Capello found no such prima donnas, least of all in the diminutive figure of Cole. 'He has been the perfect professional from the very start,' said one member of Capello's staff. 'He probably is the best left back around. Someone who perfectly executes every aspect of his job. But he is also very humble. He is a player who listens; who is focused, 100 per cent, in training and is always available to train even when he might be carrying a slight injury. He doesn't complain about the pain. He has become one of those players Fabio knows he can count on.'

Mourinho regarded Cole in much the same way. 'There were two main reasons for that,' said one of Mourinho's former Stamford Bridge colleagues. 'His commitment in training and his commitment to rehab. Nobody at Chelsea works harder to get back from injury and that is something managers love in a player. Ashley is ultra-professional.'

He is also admired at Chelsea for the way he generally conducts himself off the pitch. In much the same way he was at Arsenal. He is the first player the club will approach when they need someone to support a community event because he always says yes. Staff still talk of the way he interacted with the children at a primary school in Cricklewood who had tragically lost one of their Chelsea-adoring fellow pupils in a road accident. 'In many ways he's still just a kid from east London who recognises how lucky he's been,' noted one observer.

There is another view held at Chelsea, however. That there have been times when that same kid from east London has not always received the best advice. The publication of his book, My Defence, amounted to a spectacular PR own goal, not least because of the timing. He had just joined Chelsea and should perhaps have seen that as an opportunity to make a fresh start, even if Arsenal's supporters were never going to forgive him.

But the publication went ahead and with it the newspaper serialisation. The resentment felt towards Cole spread way beyond the red corner of north London. If the motivation for going to press was financial, it was even more ridiculous given the contract he had just signed at Stamford Bridge. A good deal more than £55,000 a week. His new deal, signed earlier this month, is more than double that.

Earlier this year his wife said he has a ' young mentality - for his age anyway' and there are certainly situations he could have handled better had he been given the right guidance. By all means make the point that Arsenal had offered him less than the figures previously discussed. But don't express apparent disgust at the prospect of earning the best part of three million quid a year.

In fairness to Cole, he actually takes a fairly mature view on the stick he receives, not least from the same Arsenal fans now targeting Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor. Asked how he felt about being football's public enemy No 1 in an interview last season, he said: 'I've dealt with the abuse a lot now,' he said. 'It seems like every game I get it.

'I try to block it out as much as I can and get on with my game. Sometimes it can affect me, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it makes me want to prove people wrong. Sometimes you want them to still love you and it's not going to happen, but that's life.

'Arsenal will always have a place in my heart, but I don't see Arsenal fans singing my name in the next few weeks or years. As a person, you do have to respect someone's views, opinions and values that they hold in life. But I don't see them forgetting and I don't blame them. I've got to get on with my life. There's nothing I can do.'

Perhaps there is nothing he can do. Perhaps it has reached the point where Cole could put Cristiano Ronaldo in his pocket in every game between now and next year's World Cup final and the vast majority of people in this country would still despise him.

Or perhaps it has now reached the point where the vast majority outside Arsenal could start to follow the example of his wife and recognise that, for all the mistakes he might have made, he still has qualities that should be admired.

Excellent read. I never bought into this bashing Ashley thing and I never thought he was such a horrible c**t as he is made out to be. The man has his flaws, for sure, but he comes across as one of the good guys from what I read.

He's ours, he's the best, people get jealous, fact of life unfortunately. England fans getting better with him however.

Excellent read. I never bought into this bashing Ashley thing and I never thought he was such a horrible c**t as he is made out to be. The man has his flaws, for sure, but he comes across as one of the good guys from what I read.

I'll be honest and say I did think that. I also slagged off Anelka and never wanted him.

I'm happy to say both have won me over by doing the business on the pitch. Cole in particular has shown real consistency as well as top quality and an excellent attitude. Anelka still has days when he looks lazy and disinterested, and the fact that on other days he works his nuts off and plays with admirable selflessness confirms to my mind that he does have his off days when his mind is elsewhere. He's not as consistent as I'd like but his attitude is still good. He looks to have a lot more to contribute in the coming seasons.

I used to think he was a bit of a prat, but he's shown his true colours on the pitch, being one of the most hard-working, high-performing and consistent players at the club. A true asset to Chelsea FC. If he was ever an odious character, he's certainly grown out of it now.

Was going to post this article yesterday. Really impressed to hear about how keen he is to do the fundraising and charity events. Worlds best left back!!

It was tough getting through the article after reading "a beautiful soul" :D

It took me some time, but I've warmed to Ashley Cole now. I mean, who couldn't, after the terrific performances he put in the past couple of seasons?

It was tough getting through the article after reading "a beautiful soul" :)

Couldn't have put it better myself! Cheryl Cole may be qualified as an X Factor judge, but a judge of "beautiful souls"???? I think not!

"Ashley Cole, the good, the bad & the ugly"

Well today we saw the good, the great and the bloody brilliant!

He's definitely a prat at times but who isn't? His biggest mistake is letting everybody see him act like a prat, doing it squarely in the public view.