COLE: Carlo convinced me to stay.

Ashley Cole has revealed it was Carlo Ancelotti that convinced him to stay at Chelsea and not rejoin Jose Mourinho in Madrid and now he wants to finish his career at Chelsea.

With everything that had been going on with Cole in his private life (the less said about that the better) and the continual headlines and grief he was getting from the press and opposition fans, which continues to follow him around every ground he plays at, it would have been understandable if he decided enough is enough and moved to Spain.

However he revealed over the weekend that Carlo convinced him to stay. Cole said:

"It was hard for me in my head. It wasn't just about the football, it was more my brain and it was getting too much for me. There were times when it was really hard. I did think about leaving but, of course, when I spoke to Ancelotti he made it clear he wanted me to stay and loved having me around, and the players didn't want me to go.

I'm glad I stayed. A lot of people were saying "you can't leave", "he's basically giving up and he has to take the flak". I've stayed now and I've taken the flak and hopefully I'm coming through it.

But I don't know what it is with Carlo. He seems to be one of the lads. He knows when to be serious, but he joins in at training and every enjoys having him around. When you have someone like that around you it makes you want to fight and win for him. He just brings out the best in the lot of us.

I would love to end my career here, I'd like to say I have four years left at the top, but I'm taking it year by year and seeing how the body is because I'm 29 but I feel like 35 or 40. It's hard getting up in the mornings. 'Being able to go to the toilet without limping. I'm like an old man every morning.

I still think about the Champions League finals I lost (with former club Arsenal and then Chelsea). Things like that come into your head and it makes you more determined.

I never said I'm one of the best, I've got a lot to improve in my game, But of course it's nice that people are maybe starting to realise all the off-field stuff, it kind of happens in life.

Maybe it's better for me - now I've dealt with it and I'm playing the best football I've ever played."

(Source: Dailymail)
I have to agree, Cole is playing the best football we have seen him play in a Chelsea shirt so far this season. He has been and I am sure come the end of the season, will remain one of our most consistant players at the club.

I for one know exactly how good he is and his decision to stay after speaking to Carlo is, in my view, the biggest of last summer.

KTBFFH.