Cole ready to take on the world

13 April 2012

Every night for the past year, Joe Cole has gone to bed - probably still curled up under his official Junior Hammers duvet - and drifted off to a fantasy land which bears a passing resemblance to the Far East.

There, in his own words, he's been 'playing for England, winning for England, lifting the World Cup'.

With dreams so exciting and vivid, it has been fairly easy for the West Ham star to greet each dawn with an enthusiastic smile, skip along to Chadwell Heath and squeeze every ounce of footballing nourishment out of the day's training.

Today, after a season of repaying club manager Glenn Roeder's faith with displays of increasing maturity and poise, the 20-year-old will carry that same youthful gusto into a World Cup squad in need of fresh and fit midfield bodies.

Roeder believes Cole could be the answer to England's left-sided problem, though he could fill any of the four positions - and may have to cover all of them, if Sven Goran Eriksson's luck with injuries does not improve.

Nothing, you feel, bar being asked to play in goal would faze a young man handed the same No.19 jersey which Paul Gascoigne filled so spectacularly at Italia 90. Cole is going to Japan and South Korea to do more than sit on the bench as an occasional game-breaker, with playing, scoring, winning - and shirt-collecting - all on his to-do list.

'I don't feel uncomfortable with the England squad, I feel I belong with these players,' said Cole, clutching World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff ' s Bolton jersey in the aftermath of Saturday's 2-1 victory.

'I'm ready to go out there to the World Cup and play, because I have great belief in my ability, I know I can play football. Every night for about a year I've been dreaming about it, about winning and lifting the World Cup.

'It's going to be a great experience, though I would have preferred the No.8 jersey, to be honest. I'm always being compared to Gazza and it's not fair. He's been there, done the lot, while I'm just starting out. We shouldn't be compared.

'I am really looking forward to the opportunity, though. I can get some more jerseys as well. I've got a Vieira shirt, adidas sent me a Zidane one and now I've got Djorkaeff's - it would be nice to swap with him after a semi-final or final at the World Cup.'

Cole was far from dominant against Bolton, playing a peripheral part in Steve Lomas' opening goal and none at all in Ian Pearce's headed winner one minute from time, his armoury of flicks and tricks rarely creating great things.

Team-mate David James, joining Cole on the flight to Dubai today, was arguably at fault for Bolton's equaliser, a Djorkaeff free- kick which deflected off the wall before he palmed it into the net.

Both will travel east with words of encouragement from Roeder. The West Ham manager is particularly proud of how Cole has blossomed in a more grown-up role under his new regime. Roeder said: 'There has been no young player who has come into the game under such intense pressure as Joe Cole. I remember him being on the front pages of the Sunday papers for the salary he was meant to be earning when he was 14 or 15.

'So much potential, so much ability. It remains to be seen whether the correct instruction from Sven, Tord or anyone else on the England staff can direct Cole without stifling him, keep him closer to class act than circus act.'

Maybe a few words just before bedtime will be the secret, sending Cole off to sleep - and perhaps to turn those dreams into reality.

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Cole ready to take on the world

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