WAYNE BRIDGE has opened up on playing second fiddle to England team-mate Ashley Cole.
While the former left-back admits he “followed the money” when joining Man City from Chelsea in 2009.
Bridge played 36 times for the Three Lions and won a Premier League and FA Cup during his six-year stint with the Blues.
But, in a candid new interview, the 44-year-old claims he was always playing in Cole’s shadow.
Cole, 43, was England’s first-choice left-back throughout the 2000s and joined Chelsea from Arsenal in a high-profile 2006 switch.
Bridge had arrived at Stamford Bridge three years earlier after excelling at Southampton.
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He soon found himself pushed out of the starting XI by Cole, who he labels the “benchmark for all left-backs.”
Bridge told the Seaman Says podcast: “I had a year out, and that’s when Ashley [Cole] came to haunt me at Chelsea instead of England.
“I was actually playing well when Ashley turned up and he didn’t come straight in and start.
“Then I remember playing Charlton, we were 1-0 up and they equalised, and I got dragged off and I kind of knew that was that.”
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Bridge was snapped up by Man City in 2009 – but claims they only bought him because they couldn’t afford Cole, by then regarded among the world’s best full-backs.
He continued: “The organisation at Chelsea was just on point all the time.
“Then you go into a City team which had some great players, but not that organisation defensively and helping each other out.
“It was just very different going to a team that was just changing.
“I kind of followed the money!
“Chelsea couldn’t get Ashley, so they got me. City couldn’t get Ashley, so they got me!”
Chelsea ratings vs Liverpool
By Ken Lawrence
LIVERPOOL held on to beat Chelsea 2-1 in a thriller as they moved to the top of the Premier League table.
Mohamed Salah opened the scoring against his former club from the penalty spot after Levi Colwill tripped Curtis Jones in the box.
Chelsea went into the break trailing and it was nearly worse, only for VAR to overturn a second Liverpool penalty after Robert Sanchez’s lunge on Jones.
The Blues came out from the break flying and Nicolas Jackson equalised.
But they failed to hold on with star of the show Jones netting the winner just minutes later.
Here is how SunSport rated the Chelsea players at Anfield.
ROBERT SANCHEZ – 5
Survived a shocker of a challenge on Jones to not give away a pen and never convincing.
REECE JAMES – 6
Got through 53 minutes in first start since last December and will surely shake off the rust.
TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 5
Booked early on for clattering into Diogo Jota and no surprise was hooked for the second half.
LEVI COLWILL – 5
Got away with one challenge against a diving Salah but a no- challenge penalty after hacked on Jones.
MALO GUSTO – 7
Intelligent display and constant threat down the left flank in the first half especially.
MOISES CAICEDO – 5
At £105m and in Chelsea’s biggest test of the season was found badly wanting.
ROMEO LAVIA – 5
Got the nod over Enzo Fernandez from the start but failed to show any urgency.
NONI MADUEKE – 6
Always mobile and was productive playing as a right-sided attacker – giving Robertson a tough afternoon.
COLE PALMER – 5
Deployed in central midfield but struggled to show his star quality and blazed over a good chance just before the break.
JADON SANCHO – 4
Lacked any real spark and unsurprisingly hooked off at the start of the second half.
NICOLAS JACKSON – 7
Picked up a typically mouthy booking but the boy definitely has something – as his fine equaliser proved.
SUBS:
PEDRO NETO (for Sancho 46) – 6
Looked a whole lot livelier than the wide man he took over from.
BENOIT BADIASHILE (for Adarabioyo 53) – 6
Looked a lot steadier than the centre-back he replaced.
RENATO VEIGA (for James 53) – 5
Got stuck in and was booked.
ENZO FERNANDEZ (for Romeo Lavia) – 6
Worked diligently to use his passing to make an impact late on.
CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (for Noni Madueke 76) – 5
Found it difficult to make his presence felt as the Reds dug in to win.
Bridge won the Premier League with the Blues in 2004-05.
But he claims he felt sheepish celebrating at the end of the season after missing a host of games through injury.
He continued: “For me, personally, it’s great to say I’ve got [a Prem title], but that was the year that I got the injury.
“So I played up till February. I played enough games, but I missed the end part.
“I should look back and go, ‘I’ve got one.’
“But part of me thinks I wasn’t one of the people that played every weekend.
“Of course I celebrated, I love a celebration!
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“But when I got the FA Cup one, I played in the final so that meant more to me than the Premier League.
“It’s great to say I’ve got it, but I think I played 16 games.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
