Joe Cole biography: Footballer

Joseph "Joe" John Cole biography

Footballer

Joe Cole

Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)

Career

Senior clubs
Club App (Gls)
West Ham United 126 (10)
Chelsea 104 (17)
National team
England 37 (6)

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as 6 December 2006.
National team caps and goals correct as 15 November 2006

Joseph "Joe" John Cole born November 8, 1981 in Paddington, London is a pro footballer who played for Chelsea of the English Premier League and the England national team. Cole was born in Paddington, London and lived there until he moved to Camden at seven. He was educated at St. Mary's Primary School in Marylebone, Haverstock Hill school in Camden and St. Aloysius RC college in North London.

A child prodigy who received national media attention as a boy and a product of the West Ham Utd youth system, Cole was touted as the hottest prospect in English football with Man Utd 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. Cole was also part of West Ham's victorious Youth Cup winning squad that defeated Coventry City in 1999. In January 2003 Glenn Roeder, then West Ham manager gave Cole the club captain's armband at the age of 19. Sadly, for Cole and for West Ham, the club was relegated at the end of that season from the Premier with the highest points total (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. This was Joe's team that he supported as a boy. He spent many a time sitting on the Benches in the old West Stand. However, due to the stiff competition for places at the club, he 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 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 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 a winner against Liverpool for neglecting defensive duties. Mourinho famously described Cole as a player with two faces , with one 'face' that he liked (referring to Cole's vision and technical ability) and another 'face' that he did not, referring to Cole's lack of enthusiasm for defensive duties..

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.

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, 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 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.

In June 2006, Cole was entered in the top ten goals of the season for the second season running, this time for an effort in a 3-0 victory against Manchester United where he produced marvelous sleight of foot to evade Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic before slamming the ball high past Edwin Van Der Sar.

Later that month, Cole extended his contract with Chelsea for another 4 seasons.

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 in a 2 goal win in the third round of the Carling Cup.

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 website he doesn't want to give a timetable for his return, club doctor Bryan English stated on February 24, 2007 Cole will 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 has since started Chelsea's FA Cup semi final against Blackburn, which Chelsea won 2-1 after extra time, and made sub 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.

National Team
Joe Cole was a member of England's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad, but did not start any games and only made a 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. 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 showcase 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 goal 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, Cole received a Man of the Match. 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.

Misspell

Jo Coal

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