Cole: 'They thought I was a young, flash little black kid with loads of money'

Ashley Cole has finally lifted the lid on the tumultuous days of first spell in England, insisting he has now grown up and is no longer the 'angry kid' who became one of this country's most divisive footballers.

Cole returned to English football earlier this year, helping Frank Lampard's Derby reach the Championship play-offs following five years spent playing in Italy in America.

Now, in his first newspaper interview for 14 years, the 38-year-old has opened up on his treatment from the press and his belief that they painted him as 'flash little black kid with loads of money'.

'I'd say I've grown up,' he told The Telegraph. 'I was a young, angry kid at the time and now I've grown up and understand the things I did is life, it happens.'

Cole's private and professional lives became the subject of much scrutiny, particularly in the years before and after his controversial move from Arsenal to London rivals Chelsea.

He was regularly booed while on international duty with England but now Cole believes he was misunderstood, and misrepresented among sections of the media.

'At times in my career I was a scapegoat for a lot of things. The papers fuelled it by putting my name to certain things, when they didn't with other players.

'I remember once giving my car away to the family of David Rocastle (the ex-Arsenal player who died from cancer back in 2001) and there was a backlash.

'People said I did it for the publicity. I was like "why am I doing nice things"? It was always brought back to me being a bad person'

'It wasn't racism but I just think they thought I was a young, flash little black kid with loads of money, when it wasn't like that. It was more jealousy of success, I think.'

A particular passage in his 2006 book, My Defence, helped fuel much of the animosity towards Cole.

It referenced the final months of his time at boyhood club Arsenal and a new contract offer. He wrote: 'When I heard [agent] Jonathan Barnett repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road.'

Cole still insists the quote was taken 'out of context' and that such incidents helped fuel his anger and sense of persecution.

'In the book I said after it (the 'swerve' quote) that it's not about the money, but that never got mentioned,' he added. 'Little frustrations like that made me that angry person at the time. I just thought it was always me, always me, always me.'