Ashley Cole described as an all-time great

England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce believes Ashley Cole is "the best left-back that's ever played for England".

Cole is expected to win his 100th cap on Wednesday when England play Brazil in a friendly match at Wembley.

If selected, the 32-year-old Chelsea player will become only the seventh Englishman to reach a century of appearances.

Pearce, a left-back who won 78 caps and was part of the England team that came close to reaching the final of both the 1990 World Cup and Euro '96, also believes the Chelsea defender isn't shown the appropriate appreciation for his high level of performance.

England's 100-cap club

• Peter Shilton (125),
• David Beckham (115),
• Bobby Moore (108),
• Bobby Charlton (106)
• Billy Wright (105)
• Steven Gerrard (100)

- BBC.co.uk