Ashley Cole Named As The Perfect Player From England 'Golden Generation' To Play At 2022 World Cup

Ashley Cole has been named as the player from England's 'Golden Generation' who fans would love to see at the 2022 World Cup later this year.

SPORTbible posed the hypothetical question on Twitter, posting a picture of England's Euro 2004 team.

Legends like Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen and John Terry were all in the side managed by Sven Goran-Eriksson.

But there was a whole lot of love showed to former Arsenal and Chelsea man Cole, who was capped 107 times and played at three different World Cups.

Cole got so many mentions that his name ending up trending on Twitter. And a big reason why many fans selected him in this current set-up is due to Gareth Southgate often utilising right-backs at left-back.

At Euro 2004, Cole, seen as one of the best left-backs of all-time, dropped a masterclass in the quarter-final against Portugal and kept Cristiano Ronaldo quiet in 120 minutes of action.

England were knocked out on penalties following a 2-2 draw but Cole genuinely produced one of the greatest defensive displays ever seen on such a big stage.

His highlights from the game are incredible and the way in which he nullified Ronaldo led to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner hailing Cole as his toughest opponent.

"Over the years I had some great battles with Ashley Cole, he does not give you a second to breathe," Ronaldo said in an interview with Coach Magazine.

"He was such a tenacious player when he was at his peak, quick, tough in the tackle. You knew it would never be an easy game."

In a separate game between Chelsea and United, Cole told Ronaldo he had him in his pocket after committing a strong but fair challenge.

The Three Lions' most-capped full-back is now part of Frank Lampard's coaching staff at Everton, having worked in the Chelsea academy and helped Lee Carsley with England Under 21's.