Ashley Cole vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Left-Back, England (born 1980, retired 2019) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
Set Ashley Cole alongside Miroslav Klose and the numbers start an argument of their own. Strip away the highlights and the medal count tells its own story for each man. Career output puts Ashley Cole at 10 goals in 750 games, with Miroslav Klose at 318 in 705. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Ashley Cole is credited with 40 and Miroslav Klose with 0. Trophy counts give Ashley Cole 11 and Miroslav Klose 7, with 3× Premier League (2002, 2004, 2010) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. Ashley Cole built his medal haul through years of rugged consistency, while Miroslav Klose won his with explosive bursts of brilliance. Their routes to the top were distinct: Ashley Cole built his reputation across Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma, LA Galaxy, Derby County, peaking around 2010, while Miroslav Klose reached his defining level around 2014 after spells with Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
184 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Widely regarded as one of the finest left-backs of his generation, Cole won a record-equalling seven FA Cups across spells at Arsenal and Chelsea.
“A quick, tenacious full-back whose relentless overlapping and recovery pace made him a nightmare to play against.”
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 3× Premier League (2002, 2004, 2010)
- 7× FA Cup (2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2012)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1999 Professional debut for Arsenal
- 2002 Won Premier League with Arsenal
- 2012 Won UEFA Champions League with Chelsea
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Chelsea
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Derby County
- Finished his career with 10 goals in 750 appearances and 11 major honours. Finished his career with 10 goals in 750 appearances and 11 major honours.
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Ashley Cole takes it by a clear margin.
Ashley Cole edges it (a clear margin)
