In the summer of 2010, Joe Cole was hot property. With the England camp having campaigned against Fabio Capello for the Chelsea wingers inclusion in the starting XI for most of the competition, Coles career nosedive since has proven that perhaps it was the wily old Italian who knew best. Having been released from Chelsea following a seven year spell, during which time he made over 250 appearances and won eight trophies, there were no shortage of suitors following Englands imminent World Cup exit. Linked with Manchester United and Spurs, it was Roy Hodgsons Liverpool who matched his £90,000 p/wk demands, the club heralding his signature as a major coup. Club captain Steven Gerrard went on to compare the dazzling showman to Lionel Messi. The precedent was set for Coles miserable stay on Merseyside as early as his league debut against Arsenal, as he was given his marching orders for a dangerous challenge on Laurent Koscielny. The following game saw him miss a penalty in the Europa League, setting the tone for a woeful stint at the five-time European champions. Punctuated by injuries, Cole also looked slow and disinterested when his hamstrings werent consigning him to the treatment table. Registering just 26 league games over the course of 18 months with just two goals to show for his efforts was a poor return on the hefty wages that the Liverpool hierarchy had granted in 2010. With the rapid emergence of Raheem Sterling as soon as Brendan Rodgers assumed the reigns of control, the Merseyside Messi was granted a one-way ticket back to London.
''I can only play for teams that Im passionate about and I think thats what went wrong for me at Liverpool. I didnt feel a connection with the club or the place that I had at Chelsea and West Ham. Obviously theyre not the biggest club in the country any more. Nottingham Forest won the European Cup twice but theyre not a bigger club than Chelsea. Joe Cole, 2013.
Now 32 years of age and training alongside the likes of Philippe Senderos and Ciaran Clark at Aston Villa every day, Cole will rue the turning point in his career that was the summer of 2010.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
