This interview was created as part of 'The Big Pete', a multimedia project by Flashscore and CANAL+ Sport set to launch in spring 2026.
You’ve said before that you started your career as a winger or forward. Did that help you later as a left-back, especially when facing top attackers?
"Yes, definitely. I think it’s really important that players experience different positions. You never know where you’ll end up playing later in your career.
"For me, it helped me understand the game better and, more importantly, understand my opponents. I knew what traits I used as a winger, so when I came up against players like that, I understood what to look for and how to defend against it. It was a great lesson and it helped me throughout my career.2
Is that something you now emphasise in your coaching – players learning different positions?
"One hundred percent. Players need to be capable of playing in different areas of the pitch. A centre-back might step into midfield, midfielders need to play on the half-turn, wingers come inside and play inverted.
"There are so many facets of the modern game. Introducing players to different positions always helps their development."
Cristiano Ronaldo once called you the toughest opponent he ever faced. What does that mean to you?
"It means I was doing my job half-decently. But defending players like Cristiano was never just about me. People see it as one-v-one, but I needed my teammates around me. Midfielders had to slide across, wingers had to help, and my centre-back had to cover behind me. I might get the credit, but it was always a team effort. Stopping one player like that on your own is almost impossible."
Did matches against Ronaldo require special preparation?
"Every game needs preparation, but against elite players you really have to understand strengths – yours, your teammates’, and the opponent’s. You go in knowing what Cristiano wants to do and you try to take that away. That understanding had to be shared by the whole team."
How important was learning from senior defenders like Tony Adams and Martin Keown early in your career?
"They had a huge impact on me, both as a player and as a person. I learned about leadership, tactical awareness and what a strong culture looks like. They had lived and breathed the game. Now, in my coaching career, I draw on those lessons and try to lead using the characteristics I learned from them."
Was it intimidating as a young player to play alongside someone like Tony Adams?
"Not really intimidating, more awe. My childhood shaped my character a lot. I grew up in East London, and while it wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t easy either. I had to be tough. At 16 or 17, I was small and slight, playing against grown men, so I had already learned how to cope.
"Being around leaders like Tony and Martin gave me an edge. I knew I had to accept criticism, learn from mistakes and take advice if I wanted to improve."
How much did your upbringing influence the defender you became?
"Massively. We didn’t have many grass pitches, we played in cages. It was dog-eat-dog football. You played against bigger, stronger boys, the ball never went out, you used the walls. You learned physicality, skill and game understanding very quickly.
"That environment played a huge role in how I performed on the pitch."
Aside from Ronaldo, who were the toughest opponents you faced?
"There were many players who caused me real problems. Aaron Lennon, Nathan Dyer at Swansea – players who could go inside, outside, run in behind.
"Against Ronaldo or Messi, there was a full team plan. Against others, sometimes it was just 'Ashley, you deal with him.' And sometimes that caught me out. There are plenty of opponents I struggled against."
Was teamwork the key reason Chelsea won the Champions League in 2012, even though the squad looked weaker on paper than previous years?
"Yes, I think so. We were older, experienced, and had learned from past losses – especially the final in Moscow in 2008. Many of us felt this could be our last chance.
"On paper, we weren’t the strongest team, but we had characters who could fight, adapt and give everything. We knew we could go to war together."
As a defender, what do you feel when your goalkeeper saves a crucial penalty, like Petr Cech against Arjen Robben?
"There’s huge relief and emotion. As a defender, you joke, 'That’s what you’re paid to do,' but the truth is that without Petr, our dream would have ended long before. That save gave us belief – another chance to survive, another chance to win. And it also gave us confidence going into a potential shoot-out, knowing who we had behind us."
You also scored in the penalty shoot-out. Was that decision made beforehand?
"I’ve always put myself forward for penalties. I’ve scored some and missed some – for club and country. You know you can be a hero or a villain, but that’s part of the job. I always felt confident enough to help the team if needed."
Looking back, was that night in Munich the happiest moment of your career?
It has to be one of them. My performance that night was probably one of my best in a Chelsea shirt, alongside the other defenders and Petr.
"To win the Champions League for the first time, in Bayern’s stadium, after chasing it for so long – it’s hard to describe. To be part of that elite group, and to do it with teammates I’d shared so much with, was incredibly special."