‘I’m lost’ – Ashley Cole has spoken of his ‘bittersweet’ Arsenal exit after being betrayed by his boyhood club.

Ashley Cole has opened up about the painful circumstances of his controversial departure from Arsenal in 2006.

The former England left-back revealed he felt betrayed by the club he once called home.

4

4

The former England left-back, now 44, says it’s because of that Arsenal Breaking the financial promise they had given him.

Talking about it Peter Crouch podcast, Cole explained, “My situation was that I knew what I was worth. If you don’t want to pay it, that’s fine. But we agreed to pay it.

“Everything was agreed, and then they pulled the rug (from) under me. They broke their promise — I can’t tell you why.”

The split eventually resulted in a £5m transfer Chelseawith William Gallows moves to the other side

Cole famously described in his autobiography that he was “shaking with rage” and nearly ran his car off the road when he heard Arsenal’s £55,000-a-week offer – an amount Chelsea were reportedly happy to double.

Although the saga cast him as a villain, with Arsenal fans calling him ‘Cashley’ and waving fake £20 notes in protest, Cole insists he was the real victim of the situation.

“It was hard to leave,” Cole admitted. “People (don’t) understand the pressure there was for me to go or stay.

“Ultimately I felt disrespected, that’s my point of view, I felt disrespected. It is what it is, but sometimes when I talk to the fans (and they say) ‘You left, you hurt me.’ , “Wait”.

“People don’t realize that I was the one who suffered the most. This was my childhood club, I was living the dream. But I got lost.”

Cole’s move to Chelsea followed a lengthy courtship that included a secret meeting with the Blues manager Jose Mourinho and CEO Peter Kenyon in 2005.

4

The discreet ‘hearing’ session, held without Arsenal’s knowledge, resulted in heavy fines for all parties involved, including a £100,000 fine for Cole (later reduced to £75,000 on appeal).

Given Cole’s deep connections as an academy graduate and potential future captain, the backlash from Arsenal fans was intense.

However, Cole says his decision to leave was not motivated by greed, but by Arsenal’s failure to deliver on their promises. “It wasn’t like I felt like I wasn’t being looked after because I was a young player,” he said.

I didn’t ask for (Therry) Henry or (Patrick) Vieira’s salary. I just knew what I was worth.”

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown He recently admitted that academy graduates like Cole are often treated differently to players brought in by Arsene Wenger, particularly in terms of pay.

Cole echoed those sentiments, expressing his frustration at being left alone to navigate the consequences.

4

He admitted: I look back and I was bitter. “In my mind, I was saying, ‘You gave me some trouble.’

Even years later, Cole is disappointed with how the saga turned out, though he holds no grudges against the fans. “I understand their frustration,” he said. “They didn’t know the full facts, they didn’t know the truth.”

Despite the controversy, Cole’s move to Chelsea was a turning point in his career.

During eight years at Stamford Bridge, he became one of the best left-backs of his generation, amassing over 330 appearances and winning eight major trophies, including the Premier League, the Champions League and four FA Cups.

During his time at Arsenal, he won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.