Back in the summer of 2006, Ashley Cole sent shockwaves throughout north London by opting to leave Arsenal for Chelsea.
The left-back’s decision to move to join rivals Chelsea left his reputation with the Gunners in tatters, with Cole being branded a ‘traitor’ just two years after being part of Arsenal’s Invincibles Premier League title winning side. In his autobiography, Cole managed to burn any bridges he had with Arsenal, taking aim at several teammates and the board over failed contract negotiations which saw him leave to join Chelsea.
And it was a decision which left ex-Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte, who came through the ranks of the Gunners’ academy “upset.” Hoyte, who turned 40 earlier this week, held Cole in the highest regard, calling him “a great role model”.
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Speaking to Daily Star Sport back in 2022, Hoyte said: “Ashley Cole was a great role model, a great example for me to follow in the way he conducted himself off the field and the way he trained. He was left-back and I was a right-back so I used to watch him in training.
“He gave me plenty of advice and helped me when I was trying to get into the team. I gave away a penalty in my first game against Norwich. We still won but he told me ‘you’re going to make mistakes, it’s all part and parcel of being a footballer and the only way you’re going to learn is by making mistakes and getting over them.”
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Hoyte left Arsenal in 2008 after making 68 first team appearances. The former Arsenal right-back explained he understands just why Cole and the majority of Arsenal fans dislike one another, with Hoyte also adding just how sad it made him given their personal relationship.
He said: “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. If you leave and go to another rival London club, no fan is going to be happy that you left. No one wants to see a player they’ve seen grow up go to Chelsea.
“So as an Arsenal fan and being someone who helped me through the academy, yeah I was upset to see him leave. He would have been a legend at the club 100% but he obviously wanted to achieve something else and he was able to do that.
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“When I was listening to all this [Cole backlash] I was thinking ‘he’s not really like this, he’s not like that,’ but at the end of the day this is football. Whatever fans see in the media is how they perceive someone, but when you know the player you understand how they actually are as a person.”
Hoyte also pointed out that people often forget how Cole’s move paved the way for another future first team star to ascend through the ranks.
He added: “But you know, we had Ashley Cole. Yes, he was great. He moved on and Gael Clichy came in and did a great job for the team. In that sense it was time for Ashley to move on for Clichy to come in.”