Wenger backs Cole to stay focused after ‘gay’ story

ARSENE WENGER does not believe Ashley Cole will lose any focus after the England defender launched legal action against two newspapers following gay sex allegations.

In a story published on February 12, the News of the World claimed two Premiership footballers used a mobile phone as a sex toy.

The story did not name the players, but the Internet has been awash with rumours about their identities. The paper published a follow-up story on February 19, and similar allegations appeared in The Sun.

Cole’s lawyer Graham Shear yesterday maintained it was “disgraceful” the 25-year-old should face such “insinuation and innuendo” ahead of a crucial phase of both his playing career with the World Cup ahead, and his impending wedding to Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy.

Arsenal manager Wenger, however, believes the defender - currently sidelined by injury - will not be distracted by what he considers to be a completely private matter.

“He wants to clear his name because he feels there have been some wrong rumours, and I can understand that,” reflected Wenger. “Nobody likes to read these sorts of rumours in the newspapers about himself.

“But unfortunately we are in a job where sometimes you have to face that, and you have to show mental strength. I feel that he is focused on his job, on doing well and recovering quickly.”

Wenger added: “I do not believe that privately it is a problem, but maybe he has decided that because he is going to be married soon, and he wants to go into something like that showing he cannot accept any insinuation on his private life.

“As a club we respect the private life of our players, and we do not interfere with that.”

The Arsenal boss reflected: “In my experience he has always shown mental strength when he is under pressure. When there have been things that might have distracted him, he has always shown remarkable focus on the game.”

Wenger maintained there was no place for any sort of homophobia in modern society.

“I do not mind about the sexuality of a player,” the Frenchman said.

“I mind about the quality of his passing and how he behaves on the pitch. All the rest is for me of no interest at all.”