'I was playing s**t,' is his simple explanation of the mis-spent years, plagued by an ankle injury that he picked up at Arsenal and reluctant to undergo surgery so soon after Jose Mourinho convinced him that his future in football lay elsewhere.

'Now I'm happy with the way things are going,' he added. 'This is the best I have felt, not just here but at Arsenal as well. I'm playing with a smile on my face agaie n.'

He is benefiting from this zest, scooping the Chelsea players' playerof- the-year award, scoring his first goal of the season at Sunderland on the final day of the Barclays Premier League season, winning the fifth FA Cup medal of his career against Everton on Saturday and then being nominated as man of the match.

At times he has been his own worst enemy, arrested as recently as March when he tumbled out of a London hotspot and began abusing police officers, before spending the night in a cell as he did not have the money on him to pay an �80 on-the-spot fine.

Words of encouragement from Guus Hiddink, Chelsea's interim coach, helped him focus again, to- readjust his sights and remind the world just what they have been missing since the moment Cole knocked Roberto Carlos off his perch to become the best left back on the planet in 2004.Col

Ashley Cole says manager Guus Hiddink will be sorely missed when he leaves Chelsea at the end of the season.

"I really like him, he has brought a lot out of the players but it's not going to happen. All the players would love him to change his mind but it's not down to us and we are going to miss him," he told the club's official website.

"He gets you motivated very quickly, and he has been a big part of that. Our season is not over yet, we still have the FA Cup to go forward to, and we all want to win for him as well. It would be nice to send him off with the FA Cup.

"Last season we could have had a treble and ended up with nothing. The FA Cup is a great trophy and one we want to win."

Ashley Cole has suggested he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge in the long term after expressing a wish to win more trophies with Chelsea.

The left-back has two years remaining on his current contract, but has been linked with a summer move to Manchester City.

Reports claim that Chelsea are willing to offer the England international a new deal to ward off any interest from their Premier League rivals.

And former Arsenal defender Cole has hinted that he would be willing to extend his time in West London as he looks to win more silverware.

"I'm at Chelsea and it's a new chapter in my life," said Cole in the Daily Express.

"Hopefully, I can win a few more trophies here and that will make it even better.

"Since I've been at Chelsea I've had a great time and won a lot of trophies, but I want to win a lot more in the future with Chelsea."

Ashley Cole has reportedly installed a recording studio for wife Cheryl at their Surrey mansion.

According to The Mirror, the Chelsea and England footballer spent thousands of pounds having the studio and engineering room built and fitted at their home.

"It shows that Cheryl and Ashley are still putting roots down together," said an insider.

"It also shows that she is looking toward a long career in music after the TV work has dried up because a studio like that requires a big commitment.

"Most people have little project studios at home based around a computer and a keyboard. We’re not talking a little home studio - this is a proper professional facility that will need a proper sound engineer."

Cole, 25, recently revealed that she will be taking "time out" from Girls Aloud later this year in order to work on some solo material.

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink hailed his side's defensive display in the 0-0 draw at Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, first leg.

The Blues became the first visiting side to keep a clean sheet at the Camp Nou this season.

"We are pleased with the result," said Dutchman Hiddink.

"When you look at the short history of Barca and what their results have been and the score here, it's quite an achievement against a beautiful team."

Hiddink was not satisfied with his team's use of the ball in possession but says their mental strength played a significant part in going into the return leg on 6 May on level terms.

"We must play better when we are in possession," he stated. "We can play better, although it is also due to the opponents, who do not let you play that easily.

"But on a mental part I think that this team has a lot of courage and blood that they want to sacrifice and win in all circumstances. This is mentally a very tough team."