Throughout the history of the Premier League, few English players have shown the natural talent, flair and instinctiveness of Joe Cole – an attacking midfielder none other than Pele himself declared possessed the skills of a Brazilian.
Yet, as we look back upon the greatest players from last 25 years in the English top flight, Joe Cole isn’t a name that instantly comes to mind; in fact, he’s overshadowed immediately by namesakes Andy Cole, a member of the Premier League’s 100-club, and serial silverware winner Ashley Cole.
When he first emerged at West Ham during the end of the 1990s, Cole was instantly tipped for greatness as the most talented young Englishman of his era. In terms of pure talent, that prophecy arguably holds true even to this day; there may have been many more successful members of England’s failed ‘Golden Generation’ not least including former West Ham youth team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick, but Cole was always the most naturally gifted.
So why is Cole rarely remembered the same esteem as some of the aforementioned names? After all, seven years at Chelsea saw him lift three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and start in the 2007/08 Champions League final – making 281 appearances in total.
He was also one of England’s best players during his nine-year stint with the Three Lions, one of the few consistent performers when it mattered most with six goals and four assists from 25 outings during World Cups and qualifiers, averaging a strike or setup every 152 minutes of play – not least including an incredible effort against Sweden in 2006.
No doubt, injures were a significant factor in Cole not reaching the dizzying heights many expected in his younger years, missing huge chunks of the 2006/07 and 2008/09 campaigns. By the time Cole left Stamford Bridge in 2010 at the age of 29, when he should have been benefitting from the perfect equilibrium of talent, athleticism and experience, the Hammers product was already past his best. That’s why in 2014, when former team-mate Lampard was enjoying a swansong at Manchester City, Cole was struggling to get a game at Aston Villa. Aged 33, he dropped down to League One with Coventry City.
Yet, there is another explanation for Cole falling short of the immense expectation that once surrounded him – the era of the Premier League he resided in and how it failed to get the absolute best out of him, something epitomised by his England career.
Technically exceptional yet too slight for two-man midfields, Cole spent the vast majority of his 56 Three Lions appearances languishing on the left wing, simply because he had the guile, attacking instincts and quality of weaker foot to play there – whereas other options such as Stewart Downing left much to be desired.
But if he were judged on today’s standards, Cole would unquestionably be a No.10 as a consequence of both his strengths and his weaknesses; a creative force capable on either foot who can score goals or create them and trick his way out of tight spaces, but lacking the natural athleticism, explosivity and pace of an out-and-out winger.
Unfortunately, by the time No.10s became the tactical vogue in the Premier League through players like Juan Mata, Mesut Ozil and David Silva and the widespread adoption of 4-2-3-1, Cole was already well and truly into his decline.
In fairness, the setup at Chelsea suited him well, often playing alongside Lampard as duel box-to-boxers, in front of Claude Makelele in the 4-3-3 formation the Blues became synonymous with. But it still didn’t maximise Cole’s talent in the same way as it did Lampard’s, who was given the freedom to make those trademark late runs forward, and after leaving West Ham in 2004, the remainder of the now 35-year-old’s Premier League career saw him make just 26 starts as a central attacking midfielder in the way we understand the role today.
Of course, great players are always adaptable and Cole falls under that remit too, featuring in a variety of offensive roles throughout his career. But what many managers mistook for versatility was actually a lack of understanding of what Cole’s best role truly should have been.
As a consequence, rather than having teams built around him, Cole became the go-to bendable peg to stick in whatever hole became available.
If Cole had emerged four or five years later, in time to be a part of the No.10 craze, perhaps we would have seen the world-class player many predicted in the late 1990s; and perhaps, rather than occasionally coming to mind as a fondly remembered footnote, he’d be seen as a central, integral figure in the story of the Premier League’s first 25 years.