He almost lost his balance when he sat down at the start and briefly lost his composure when someone dropped the F-word but, the subject of Rio Ferdinand aside, this felt like a happy homecoming for Ashley Cole. Not always everyone’s cup of tea during a Premier League career spent at Arsenal and Chelsea, Cole returned to England for the first time as a Roma player on Monday and was quite the charmer. There were no hard feelings towards Chelsea for ending his eight-year stay at Stamford Bridge this summer and an acceptance that Italy has yet to see the best of him.
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Cole was released in the summer after eight years at Stamford Bridge
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Defender is back in England for Roma's clash at Manchester City
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Cole could come up against former Blues teammate Frank Lampard
Ashley Cole has featured four times for @placeholder since his arrival in Italy in the summer
Ashley Cole has featured four times for Roma since his arrival in @placeholder in the summer