“Good time to say I had him in my pocket” - Ashley Cole opens up on incident where Cristiano Ronaldo asked to be substituted after facing him

Chelsea legend Ashley Cole has recalled the time he forced Cristiano Ronaldo to get himself substituted. He said that the then-Manchester United forward was unhappy with a strong tackle after a sub-par game against the Blues.

Speaking to Chelsea TV (via ESPN), Cole said that the matches against Ronaldo always came with extra motivation, and he was up for the challenge. The Chelsea legend added that he was dominating the game against Manchester United, and the Portuguese superstar was unable to do much and asked to be taken off after a tackle. He said:

"I was so focused on that game. Even in the changing room, I just felt different going into this game. My focus and concentration - mentally, I was on it. I came to show him the line a lot because I kind of fancied my chances up against him with my pace."

"And a little bit of mentality, actually, I think I got in his head a few times. He always wanted that extra trick. I gave him a strong tackle, maybe it was a foul or not, I don't know. And I felt at that time he didn't want it no more. He's kind of put his hand up and said, 'I wanna go off.' So I think it was a good time to say I had him in my pocket."

Ashley Cole has faced Cristiano Ronaldo 14 times but has come out victorious just three times. He lost eight times to the winger in club and country matches.

Ashley Cole named Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponent

Ashley Cole spoke to the Premier League website after being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame and named Cristiano Ronaldo as his toughest opponent. He said that the winger was keen on learning and doing well in every game and said (via GOAL):

"Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo and I had some mighty battles and we have a mutual respect for each other. He had everything. He could dribble, he could sprint behind, he could leap and jump and head a ball, he could go inside, he could go outside. So I say he always gave me nightmares, but you try to work each other out and we got the best of each other at times."

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play for Al-Nassr and has extended his deal until 2027. He is set to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, after Portugal sealed qualification earlier this month.