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MLS: Cole stakes his reputation with move to LA Galaxy

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As Ashley Cole sat down in front of the waiting media, there was a nervous tension in the air. Introduced alongside another new arrival in Jelle Van Damme, the talk was when, not if, his infamous “relax on a beach” remark would be presented to him.

After a brief address by coach Bruce Arena, the players began to take questions. By now Cole’s statement is a year and a half old, but it still stings. “I knew I was going to get this question,” he said in response to whether his opinion on MLS had changed. “I’m not going to come in here and try to defend myself, but it was for sure taken out of context. I have to deal with it, I hope I can change the views of me coming here by my play on the pitch.”

Certainly Cole is not the first English player to endure struggles in Los Angeles. “Go Home, Fraud,” read one sign aimed at David Beckham in July 2009. “Hey Becks, Here Before You, Here after You, Here Despite You,” read another.

Beckham’s time in Los Angeles was a polarising mix of peaks and troughs. He may have rode off into the sunset with an MLS Cup under his arm (one of two he earned during a 5 year spell), but it arrived after public criticism for seeking winter loan moves to Europe. For many his fleeing back across the Atlantic Ocean in January 2009 & 2010 was disrespectful to the Galaxy - displaying a lack of commitment to employers that had paid him handsomely.

By contrast, the former Arsenal defender is earning significantly less than Beckham ever did. That is because the pair arrive in LA at different stages of their respective careers. Beckham was arguably at the peak of his powers when he left Real Madrid to join the Galaxy, while Cole is attempting to fix a flagging reputation.

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“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation,” said Benjamin Franklin. “And only one bad one to lose it.” It could be argued that Cole’s spell with Italian side Roma was enough to do just that. “I did find it, of course, difficult the last two years, not playing as much as I hoped and wanted to,” he said of his time in Italy’s capital.

Struggling to adapt to the demands of the Italian league, Cole often looked out of sorts. A move that was supposed to revitalise his career, it instead seemed to derail it. Talk of a return to the Premier League rarely evolved passed speculation, with the player himself quick to quash it. “I wake up every morning new, free as a bird,” he said last summer. “I know there’s not going to be a story in the paper about going to a nightclub or doing this or that.”

All was not well though. Cole rarely took the pitch for Roma after January 2015, his playing career ebbing away on the bench slowly with each passing match week. His presence on the edge of the team photograph was used to mock him, as his perception as a pariah became more entrenched. By the turn of the year a departure seemed inevitable.

Across the globe in LA, the Galaxy were evaluating their own situation. Exiting the play-offs after a defeat to the Seattle Sounders in the knockout round, it was a shock departure relative to their high standards. Such a season has forced the club back to the drawing board during the off-season. Out went mainstays of the team like Brazilian midfielder Juninho and defender Omar Gonzalez.

In came a bevy of experienced internationals including: Cole, Van Damme and Nigel De Jong. They will ply their trade alongside Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane - both of whom are now closer to 40 than 30. On the surface the roster seems ageing and lacking in speed, but Arena will point to the likes of Sebastian Lletget, Gio Dos Santos and Emmanuel Boateng to give the team athleticism.

However those teammates will do little to influence how well Cole performs on an individual level. Making his debut against Club Tijuana of Mexico this week, he provided a solid if not spectacular showing during his 58 minutes on the field. With a few weeks left until the club’s season opener against D.C. United, he will soon realise that MLS is a physically demanding league. Consequently he will be tasked with stopping tricky wingers like Fabian Castillo of FC Dallas and the Portland Timbers’ Dairon Asprilla. A potentially difficult proposition that may further highlight his diminished speed, Cole’s experience may play a vital part in helping him win such duels.

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It is for that reason that Cole has not opted for the relaxing beach he once claimed MLS would be. If anything the former England international will now see his reputation put under intense scrutiny. Those eager for him to fail will be strong in number, as was the case for Beckham during his difficult period.

Of course Cole has never been one for the easily trodden path. Dubbed ‘Cashley’ after he crossed the divide between Arsenal and Chelsea in 2006, his bold choice was rewarded with both domestic success and a Champions League title.

It is that same winning mentality that has enticed Arena and the Galaxy to invest in him, despite the potential risk. A player preparing to write the final few chapters of his career, Cole knows he could help restore his reputation with a solid showing in LA - the perfect precursor to some time on that aforementioned beach.

Follow Kristan Heneage on Twitter: @KHeneage