Joe Cole
Early life
Cole was born in Romford, East London and lived there until he moved to Camden
at the age of seven. He was educated at St. Mary's Primary School in Marylebone
along with brother Jarrod Cole, who is a rising rugby star, Haverstock school
(Now Haverstock Business & Enterprise College) in Chalk Farm, Camden and
St. Aloysius RC College in North London. The family home in recent years was
in Romford.
West Ham
A child prodigy who received national media attention as a schoolboy and a
product of the famed West Ham United youth system, Cole was long touted as
the hottest prospect in English football with Manchester United reportedly
offering to pay £10 million for his services as a 16-year-old. Playing
in a mould similar to former England favourite Paul Gascoigne, he quickly progressed
through the West Ham ranks before making his first-team debut at the age of
17. In 1999 Cole was also part of West Ham's victorious Youth Cup winning squad,
defeating Coventry City 9-0 in the final. In January 2003 Glenn Roeder, then
West Ham United manager gave Cole the club captain's armband at the age of
21. Sadly, for Cole and for West Ham United, the club was relegated at the
end of that season from the Premiership with the highest points total ever
recorded, 42.
Chelsea
2003-2004
In 2003, Cole moved to Chelsea as part of Roman Abramovich's 'Russian Revolution'
for £6,600,000 with a view to establishing himself in the England national
team. However, due to the stiff competition for places at the club, he initially
struggled to hold down a place in the team for both Chelsea and England under
Claudio Ranieri.
According to Cole, Ranieri had wanted to send him to Russia on loan to CSKA
Moscow just days after finalizing his transfer. Cole refused to move and stayed
in Chelsea, but figured irregularly throughout the first half of season 2003-04
and was reduced to a peripheral figure after Ranieri signed Scott Parker in
January 2004.
2004-2005
Cole had long been praised for his technical skills and creativity but criticised
for his lack of all-round contribution to the team. After the arrival of new
Chelsea manager José Mourinho in 2004, Cole initially continued to struggle,
though he soon found himself making more appearances than he did during Ranieri's
stewardship.
In January 2005, Cole was publicly criticised by Mourinho after scoring the
winner against Liverpool for neglecting his defensive duties. Mourinho famously
described Cole as a player 'with two faces', with one 'face' that he liked
(Cole's vision and technical ability) and another 'face' that he did not (Cole's
lack of appetite for defensive duties). Mourinho also substituted Cole with
Portuguese midfielder Tiago Cardoso Mendes shortly after Cole's goal, and explained
later that it was because "after Cole scored, the game ended for him.
We were playing with ten men afterwards because Cole stopped running, stopped
playing."
Cole responded positively to this and took advantage of injuries to other
players (most notably Arjen Robben) to become one of the stars of Chelsea's
Premiership title winning team in 2004-05. He also won a starting place in
the England team on the left side of midfield, which England had struggled
to fill adequately for several years. Cole's form saw him hit a run of goals
towards the end of the season, and his goal against Norwich (blasted in from
22 yards off his weaker left foot) was voted in the top ten goals of the season
in the Premier League for 2004-05. Cole scored 10 goals for Chelsea in 2004-05,
and ended the season with the first of his two FA Premier League champions'
medals.
2005-2006
At Chelsea, the strong competition for places meant that he struggled to hold
a first team role, with Arjen Robben and new arrival Shaun Wright-Phillips
providing stiff competition. In the first half of the 2005-06 season Cole enhanced
his reputation considerably, moved up the Chelsea pecking order ahead of Wright-Phillips
and Duff, and was named in the PFA's team of the season. His status was such
that by March 2006, he was considered Chelsea's most creative player by many
pundits, and his omission from the starting lineup by Mourinho, who was testing
a narrower 'midfield diamond' approach, was held up as the principal cause
of Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in the semi-finals of the 2006 FA Cup
competition.Joe Cole scored important goals,against Liverpool at Anfield,Arsenal
at Highbury and against Manchester United at home by evading Ferdinand and
Vidic. During the 2005-06 season, Cole extended his contract with Chelsea for
another 4 seasons. He ended his season by scoring a solo goal against Manchester
United, which sealed the premiership.
2006-2007
Cole missed the first three months of Chelsea's season and England's first
four Euro 2008 qualifiers after sustaining an injury to his right knee in Chelsea's
pre-season tour of America, but made his return to first-team action on 14
October 2006, coming on as a second-half substitute in Chelsea's 1-0 victory
at Reading. Cole scored his first goal of the 2006-07 season against Blackburn
Rovers in a 2 goal win in the third round of the Carling Cup.
However, in January 2007, Cole underwent surgery for a stress fracture in
the navicular bone of his foot he suffered in late 2006. Although he stated
in a January 30th interview on the Chelsea FC website that he didn't want to
give a timetable for his return, club doctor Bryan English stated on February
24, 2007 that Cole would return to play at the end of March or beginning of
April.
Although not fully fit, Cole made his return for Chelsea in the first leg
of Chelsea's 1-1 draw in a 2006-07 UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie
against Valencia at Stamford Bridge. Cole contributed hugely to Chelsea's 2-1
victory in the second leg and 3-2 victory on aggregate. Cole started Chelsea's
FA Cup semi-final against Blackburn, which Chelsea won 2-1 after extra-time,
and made substitute appearances against Tottenham and West Ham. In April 2007,
Cole scored the only goal in Chelsea's defeat of Liverpool in the first leg
of their Champions' League semi-final, at Stamford Bridge, giving Chelsea an
advantage going into the away leg, which they lost 1-0 and crashed out of the
Champions League on penalties.
Honours
* FA Youth Cup: 1999
* FA Premier League: 2005, 2006
* Football League Cup: 2005, 2007
* FA Community Shield: 2005
* FA Cup: 2007
National Team
Joe Cole was a member of England's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, but did not
start any games and only made one substitute appearance off the bench.
He was also a squad member at Euro 2004, but did not play.
Doubts have been expressed over his ability to play in the left wing position
for the England national side, with some calling for natural left-footer Stewart
Downing and even pacy teenager Theo Walcott to be given a chance. However,
Cole played in the England side throughout 2005 and early 2006, competing in
internationals against Denmark, Northern Ireland, and Argentina.
His displays in England's friendlies leading up to the 2006 World Cup enhanced
his reputation ahead of the summer's finals in Germany. In May 2006 he was
confirmed in the England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, ahead of Chelsea
teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips. He played on the left-side of midfield in England's
opening game against Paraguay on June 10, 2006.
On June 20, 2006, England drew with Sweden, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, with
a final score of 2-2. Cole scored a spectacular volley in the 34th minute of
the match and got an assist in the 85th when he sent in a ball to Steven Gerrard.
At the end of the match, Budweiser announced that Cole received the Man of
the Match. The Swedish football fans congratulated England for having such
a valuable player in the tournament. Cole lined up for the England squad for
the first time since the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the 1-1 friendly draw against
the Netherlands, providing an assist for Wayne Rooney from a cross. After another
injury, he returned to start the friendly against Brazil at Wembley Stadium
on 1 June.
Cole scored his seventh goal for England in June 2007, in their European Championship
qualifier, away to Estonia.
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