Chelsea FC have confirmed that Ashley Cole has signed a one-year extension to his current deal, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2013-14 season. This isn't a surprise, of course -- rumours that he had signed or was about to sign a new contract emerged on Saturday, and Rafa Benitez claimed that a deal was imminent after the 2-1 victory over Arsenal this weekend, but it's always good to see things being made official.
With rumours floating around that Cole was off to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid, we can now end speculation that the Blues' first-choice left back will be leaving this summer (although speculation as to his new wages is going to be fun for a while). The left back seems pretty pleased to have stayed:
I have been able to fulfil nearly all my ambitions at Chelsea. I have won the Champions League, the League, I have won FA Cups here but of course you don't want to stop winning trophies and being at a big club, you are always fighting to win a trophy.
Being here for seven years and being at Arsenal before that playing for trophies, you never lose that hunger. I wanted to stay at Chelsea because we are always fighting and challenging for trophies. That desire and the will to want to win things have not gone
That's exactly the sort of attitude that you'd want from a veteran player. Chelsea Football Club needs players with a hunger for trophies, and Cole, despite winning every major club trophy available to him, still has that. Although he's not interested in being a role model for kids, that's something that I hope rubs off on every Chelsea youngster.
The left back has played 293 matches for Chelsea since joining from Arsenal in 2006.