England [Images] defender Ashley Cole has fanned the flames of his acrimonious departure to champions Chelsea by accusing former club Arsenal [Images] of betraying him.

The left back's move to Stamford Bridge was only sealed in the final throws of the August transfer window, ending a bitter saga that began back in January 2005 when Cole first met Chelsea representatives.

In his book My Defence, serialised by The Times, Cole slams the club he joined as a trainee in 1998 for throwing his loyalty "back in my face".

Cole, unhappy at his employers for not agreeing to meet his wage demands, launched a hard-hitting attack on Arsenal and in particular, vice-chairman David Dein.

"I feel betrayed and let down by a club I've given my heart and soul to. For me it was one person at the club doubting my loyalty. And it was the final straw," Cole wrote.

"I'd had a vice-chairman and board who had thrown my loyalty back in my face... My love for Arsenal was soured."

The 25-year-old Cole describes a series of confrontations with Dean and the bitterness he felt about leaving.

"My heart and soul was tied to Arsenal with a fisherman's knot. I don't think even Houdini could have unravelled it. Not for one minute did I see myself leaving.

"There was only ever one club in England, let alone London [Images], and that was Arsenal. That was before the 2004-05 season. That was before something precious was smashed into tiny pieces."

Cole had been linked with a move across London ever since he was involved in the infamous "tapping-up" affair in January 2005 for which he and Chelsea were fined by the Premier League.

Arsenal appeared reluctant to offload Cole to their bitter rivals, with talks deadlocked despite a reported 16.5 million pound ($31 million) offer.

Cole's growing frustration was reflected by his unhappiness at the prospect of starting the season in north London.

"At one stage in mid-August I thought I'd have to walk back across a broken bridge and stay at Arsenal," he said.

"The thought depressed me, and it probably didn't do much for the boss (Arsene Wenger) either. I sensed he was sick and tired of the speculation."

The move was finally sealed in a swap deal with France [Images] defender William Gallas and Cole made his Chelsea debut as a substitute in Saturday's 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic.

• Complete football coverage