Madrid calling for Cole

HE would have had the perfect opportunity to practise the lingo when England played Spain on Saturday.

For it has emerged that England star Ashley Cole (above) is learning Spanish.

The Chelsea defender – strongly linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid – has invested in a Linguaphone ‘Beginners’ Spanish’ CD in a bid to master the language.

The 30-year-old has downloaded it onto his laptop and iPod to allow him to practise on the team bus, before trying out his phrases on Spanish teammates Fernando Torres and Juan Mata.

It was the first time England had beaten a country ranked ‘World Number One’ for decades, after the 1-0 win at Wembley.