Carlton Cole has become somewhat of a cult figure at West Ham. Initially purchased from Chelsea in July 2006 with bags of potential, he was highlighted as a future star striker. His up and down 7 year career with the Hammers has seen him truly show his full potential in just two seasons, which did however, result in a £20 million offer from Liverpool; an offer we very much should have taken up! In recent years, his quality and consistency has dwindled more and more, and after spearheading an unsuccessful first team attack in multiple seasons, he ended the 2013 season as a backup for Andy Carroll and was subsequently released. After failing to acquire a new striker in the summer transfer market, West Ham, in a fit of desperation, then re-signed Cole, seemingly forgetting the many reasons behind his release.
