Ashley Cole is not so much a footballing Marmite as a Millwall. No one likes him but he doesn't care, and on Wednesday he will collect his 100th England cap 11 years, 11 months and 22 days since he made his Three Lions debut against Spain at Villa Park.
Cole will become a centurion in the next immediate England fixture after Steven Gerrard did in Sweden three months ago. The pair made their competitive debuts together in a 2002 World Cup qualifying win against Finland way back in March 2001, and have now extended the list of centurions to seven.
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Cole celebrates Joe Cole's opener against Northern Ireland in March 2005
That the pair are still starting 12 years on is symptomatic of England's failings at international level. The dearth of quality and the aversion to bring in fresh faces sooner have hindered the national side's progress, but Roy Hodgson continues to persevere with failures of the 'golden generation'. Gerrard and Cole - experiencing underwhelming seasons - earning call-ups ahead of Rio Ferdinand just does not make sense. Should England qualify for next year's World Cup Gerrard will be captain, which seems ludicrous.
But back to Cole. On Wednesday night some of the attendants at Wembley will applaud him as if he was a burglar entering their house and considering how fickle the England fan is, some will have bought a ticket just to boo him.
Cole has been booed before, most memorably against Kazakhstan in October 2008 when an error gifted the visitors a goal. England won 5-1 and however much you may hate Cole the real problem was the pathetic Wembley attendants who booed a player during a game.
Ashley Cole's England career
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First call-up, February 2001
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Struck down by a missile as England celebrate Andy Cole's first international goal in Albania, March 2001
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Chasing Steven Gerrard after he puts England 2-1 up in the 5-1, September 2001
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Lining up in a World Cup for the first time against Sweden, June 2002
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Letting Ariel Ortega know he's around
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A claustrophobic warmdown in Japan
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Losing out to Brazil in the first of four last four eliminations with England
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Holding firm in Istanbul as England qualify for Euro 2004, November 2003
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Thrown away: Leading 1-0 in the 90th minute, England lose their opening Euro 2004 game to France
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Handling Ronaldo in the quarters
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Scoring in the shootout, but England of course lost
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Clashing with Spain coach Luis Aragones, a week after he aired a racial slur about Thierry Henry
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'Who did that? They can't do that to Jay Tee...'
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Attention
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With Sven
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Bromance with Becks
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Celebrating England's opener against Paraguay at the 2006 World Cup
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Powerless to prevent Allback's equaliser
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A crucial block at 0-0 in the last 16 tie with Ecuador
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Celebrating with Beckham after he becomes the first England international to score at three World Cups, 2006
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Coach no.2, Steve
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Bearing the brunt of the boo boys against Kazakhstan at Wembley, October 2008
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Coach no.3, Fabio
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The start of a third World Cup, vs USA in South Africa 2010
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Getting heated in Bloemfontein...
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As England crash out spectacularly to Germany
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Keeping tabs on Bale, September 2011
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Coach no.4, Roy
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Starting in a second European Championship
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Thwarted by Buffon
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Loneliness...
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Elimination
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England manager Roy Hodgson applauds as England defender Ashley Cole is presented with a golden cap in recognition of 100 caps for the national team before kick-off of the international friendly football match between England and Republic of Ireland at Wembley Stadium in north London on May 29, 2013. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISNOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
England Training Session and Press Conference(34 of34)
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BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Ashley Cole of England poses with a shirt to celebrate reaching 100 caps in Wednesday's friendly international against Brazil at Wembley, following an Engand training session at St Georges Park on February 4, 2013 in Burton-upon-Trent, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
An automatic selection at left-back in England's greatest XI, Cole, now 32, can count himself fortunate if he is to start against Brazil. Leighton Baines is England's best left-footed full-back and after Hodgson stressed the importance of the Brazil friendly starting Cole just for the sake of nostalgia (it's happened before with David Beckham) would be further proof he is an incongruous choice for England manager.
Then again, it is only a friendly and the would be centurion has been superb for the majority of his England career, which has taken in three World Cups and two European Championships. So congratulations are in order.