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Name:	Joe Cole
Nationality:	English
Date of Birth:	08/11/1981
Height:	5' 9" (176cm)
Weight:	11st 7lbs (73.0kg)
Previous
Clubs:	West Ham Utd
Position:	Midfielder

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The best season of Joe's Chelsea career was followed by his most frustrating as two spells of lengthy injury eat away the months during 2006/7.

 

Yet his return for the final two months came as the quadruple was still being chased and he played the first-half of the Wembley FA Cup win over Man United.

 

The injury problems began in pre-season, just weeks after Joe had been one of Chelsea's four players in England's 2006 World Cup squad, scoring the side's best goal of the tournament in an otherwise lacklustre team display.

 

Joe had turned his long-admired potential into genuine achievement during the previous two seasons at Chelsea. Regularly played on the left or right of an attacking three, he weighed in with crucial goals and assists.

 

A born Londoner, Joe watched Chelsea from the stands as a boy but it was to West Ham he went as a junior where the spotlight found him at a ridiculously early age.

 

This was due in part to his showings for England Youth but also had much to do with a reported interest from Alex Ferguson.

 

However Joe remained at Upton Park where his much awaited first team career began gently before it was halted altogether by a broken leg.

 

On his return he progressed steadily to become a club regular and an occasional face for England.

 

A determined attitude won him the West Ham captaincy in the 2002/3 season but his spirit was not enough to prevent relegation - making a transfer away inevitable for the good of his career and for the Hammers' finances. Chelsea paid £6.6 million.

 

His first season here, under the management of Claudio Ranieri, included a run of games out wide - but it remained unclear where Joe's best position was or how his ball-skills could be used to dangerous effect within the team's overall shape.

 

After a year playing for José Mourinho, the answers became a lot more clear.

 

Joe was part of the England squad for both the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 and on his return from the latter he was given a run of games by Mourinho as part of an attacking three.

 

With a return to fitness of Damien Duff and Arjen Robben, his chances became more limited and mostly from the bench, but he contributed crucial, match-winning goals as Chelsea's 2004/5 championship season grew in momentum.

 

A fresh opportunity presented itself when Robben was further injured and Joe grabbed it with the best form of his career.

 

He was named Premiership Player of the Month for March 2005 and drew special praise for his maturity from then England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson.

 

At international level, Joe became the best answer to the perennial left-side question.

 

The 2005 Carling Cup Final brought his first winners' medal with the Premiership title then added. Mourinho had instructed and Joe had listened well.

 

The 2005/6 season continued with goals and more managerial praise, Joe developing into one of Chelsea's very top performers, whether it be on the left- or right-hand side.

 

His dazzling goal on back-to-back championship-winning day versus Man United was his favourite for the club so far and signed-off an excellent season in the perfect way. He had played 26+8 of the 38 Premiership games, scoring eight times.

 

It was a knee ligament injury followed by a stress fracture in the foot that limited appearances last campaign but Joe took the time out to work tirelessly in the gym to face a new campaign both fresher and stronger than ever before.

 

A gradual return to form over the early months of this season have seen Joe begin to influence games like he did two seasons ago.

 

Important winners against West Ham and Blackburn added to the equalising goal in Valencia that kicked off our 16-game unbeaten run that lasted through to December.