Premier League Team of the Decade: The 2000s

Left Back - Ashley Cole

Steve Stone of Portsmouth and Ashley Cole of Arsenal

Patrice Evra and Ashley Cole were both legendary but the latter edges it in this battle. Cole came through the Arsenal academy during the early 2000s and won the league twice wearing red in London. He was part of the Arsenal team that went unbeaten in 2003-04. After this, he signed for Chelsea and won the league in Blue too in the 2009-10 season. He might have established himself as England's greatest left-back

Patrice Evra was another great left-back who played for Manchester United who was a part of the great United backline, but defensively Cole was arguably better than him. John Arne Riise is another name that springs to mind when talking about great left-backs, a legend at Liverpool for winning the Champions League in 2005. The fact is that he was more of a utility player for Rafa Benitez during the latter stages of his career; he was used as a left midfielder and even as a left winger on occasions.

Ashley Cole, on the other hand, retained his position at Arsenal and Chelsea as a buccaneering left back, and he therefore makes this list.