'He made me do the splits!' - Ashley Cole explains why Cristiano Ronaldo was his toughest ever opponent as former Arsenal and Chelsea star is inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame

On Monday, the Premier League announced that the former Arsenal and Chelsea star is the first inductee into the 2024 Premier League Hall of Fame. After receiving the honour, Cole revealed that Portuguese great Ronaldo is the toughest opponent he has ever faced in his career.

Cole described the Al-Nassr star as a complete footballer and revealed how the ex-United winger quickly adjusted to the English top-tier football after coming as a youngster from Sporting CP. The English full-back also claimed that the Portuguese gave him nightmares on the pitch.

Speaking about Ronaldo, Cole said, "Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo and I had some mighty battles and we have a mutual respect for each other. He came to the Premier League as a little bit of an unknown, but he soon understood what it took to be a top player. He was willing to learn and adapt. He wanted to be the best player in the world and became a machine.

"He had everything. He could dribble, he could sprint behind, he could leap and jump and head a ball, he could go inside, he could go outside. So I say he always gave me nightmares, but you try to work each other out and we got the best of each other at times. Whenever I hear his name or see his face, I always think of when he made me do the splits! [in 2003/04, Ronaldo’s first Premier League season]"

The 39-year-old has joined the Portugal squad after sitting out for the Sweden clash last week. He will next play against Slovenia in an international friendly on Tuesday.