Joe Cole

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Cole was born Joseph Rooks in Paddington, London, and lived there until he moved to Somers Town at the age of six. He is a product of the West Ham United youth system. Playing in a mould similar to former England favourite Paul Gascoigne, he progressed through the West Ham ranks and signed professional terms in November 1998 before making his first-team debut aged 17 on 2 January 1999 in an FA Cup third round tie against Swansea City. Eight days later he made his Premier League debut, away to Manchester United. In 1999, Cole was part of West Ham's victorious FA Youth Cup-winning squad (alongside Michael Carrick), defeating Coventry City 9–0 on aggregate in the final. Cole played only eight Premier League games in his first season but in the following season, he made 22 Premier League appearances, was a member of the West Ham team which won the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup, scored his first goal for West Ham, in a 3–2 League Cup win at Birmingham City on 30 November 1999 and scored his first Premier League goal, in a 5–4 home win against Bradford City, on 12 February 2000. In January 2003, then West Ham manager Glenn Roeder gave Cole the club captain's armband at the age of 21. Cole's last game for West Ham came on 11 May 2003 in a 2–2 draw with Birmingham City, a game which saw West Ham relegated from the Premier League. Cole won the 'Hammer of the Year Award' for 2003. On 6 August 2003, Cole signed for Chelsea for a fee of £6.6 million after he had rejected a new contract with West Ham. He was the sixth player signed after the club's takeover by billionaire Roman Abramovich, amongst those was his former West Ham teammate Glen Johnson. Manager Claudio Ranieri saw Cole as the perfect replacement for Gianfranco Zola, whom the club had released earlier that year, and West Ham declared that the transfer was enough for them not to sell any more players that summer. A week after signing for the club, Cole made his debut in a UEFA Champions League qualifier away to MŠK Žilina. He came on as a substitute for fellow new signing Damien Duff with 21 minutes remaining and caused Michal Drahno to score an own goal to conclude a 2–0 victory. On 17 August, he played his first Premier League game for the club, again replacing Duff for the last 15 minutes in a 2–1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield. He scored his first goal on 29 October in the League Cup against Notts County, rep

In Their Own Story

The atmosphere shifted dramatically in the 2004–05 season as Cole capitalized on wingers Duff and Robben being sidelined. On 9 March, he blasted a goal from 20 yards against Norwich City with his weaker left foot, sparking a run of form that saw him finish with ten goals for the campaign. He started in the League Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium on 27 February 2005, making way for Glen Johnson after 81 minutes as Chelsea beat Liverpool 3–2 after extra time. The following season, Cole extended his contract by four seasons and cemented his place ahead of Shaun Wright-Phillips. He scored one of three goals in a 3–0 victory over Manchester United, a result that secured the Premier League title for the team. In January 2007, he returned from foot surgery to feature in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Valencia. His resilience shone through again in the 2010 FA Cup Final, where he came on as a substitute to secure his second FA Cup medal with Chelsea.

Reader's Guide

Joe Cole is a former attacking midfielder or winger who played for West Ham United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Lille, Aston Villa, and Coventry City. He won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a League Cup with Chelsea. He was capped 56 times for England, scoring 10 goals, and represented his country at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2004. After retiring in 2018, he became a coach at Chelsea.

Did You Know?

• Cole was born Joseph Rooks in Paddington, London, and moved to Somers Town at age six.
• He made his Premier League debut for West Ham at age 17, eight days after his first-team debut in the FA Cup.
• Cole scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea on 17 December 2003 against Aston Villa, but it was an equaliser in a 1–2 defeat, not his first league goal for the club.
• He scored ten goals for Chelsea in the 2004–05 season, including a strike from his weaker left foot against Norwich City on 9 March.
• Cole won the Chelsea Player of the Year award in 2008.