Chelsea fullback Ashley Cole has revealed ankle surgery has been key to his stunning form this season.

"I can run again because I have no pain in my ankle," said Cole. "I had an operation and they took a piece of my bone away that was floating in my ankle.

"I did it at Arsenal but I didn't want to come to Chelsea and have the operation straight away. It did affect me and I shouldn't have done it. There were times when I didn't enjoy it.

"But I knew that once my ankle was better, I would be able to run. The manager (Jose Mourinho) wanted me to attack, but I couldn't do it. I played in the World Cup with it and I just wanted the injury finished. Now I feel really fit.

"This season though has been the best I've had in the Premier League. Now I am playing with a smile on my face and as a player I think I've improved."