CARLTON COLE
Born: 12 October 1983, Croydon, England
Former clubs: Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan), Aston Villa (loan), Charlton Athletic (loan)
Capped by England at full international level, Carlton Cole's career has flourished during his time at West Ham United, with the striker bagging the opening goal as the Hammers gained promotion back to the Premier League by beating Blackpool at Wembley in the 2012 npower Championship Play-Off final.
A tall and powerful forward, Cole came through the ranks at Chelsea before finding his first-team opportunities limited by the arrival of a number of big-money signings at Stamford Bridge.
A popular character on and off the pitch, Cole is also heavily involved in charity and community work with a number of organisations.
2014/15
Scored his first goal of the campaign to seal the Hammers' 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on 23 August 2014.
2013/14
Rejoined the Club on a short-term contract in October 2013, having initially left the Boleyn Ground at the end of the 2012/13 campaign....Notched his first goal since returning as the Hammers defeated Fulham 3-0 on 30 November 2013...Followed that with two goals in December - in 3-1 defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal...Continued his good form by notching in the 2-0 win at Cardiff on 11 January 2014...Signed a new 18-month contract in January 2014....Scored his fifth goal of the campaign in the 3-1 home defeat to Newcastle United on 18 January 2014.
2012/13
Found himself competing with on-loan Liverpool man Andy Carroll for much of the campaign, but enjoyed an extended run due to a mid-season injury to Carroll and scored his first goal of 2012/13 as West Ham came from behind to defeat Chelsea 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground on 1 December 2012...Made it two for the campaign later that month to open the scoring against Everton, but was later sent off - although the red card would subsequently be rescinded - and the Hammers were defeated 2-1...Was back on the bench as Carroll returned to the team in February 2013, but did start the 0-0 draw at Liverpool on 7 April 2013 as Carroll could not play against his parent club due to the rules of his loan arrangement.
2011/12
Turned down the chance to return to the Premier League to aid West Ham's promotion fight...Made a terrific start to the new season with four goals in each of his first four starts against Watford, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth...Came off the bench to inspire West Ham United to a 2-1 npower Championship win at Coventry City on 19 November 2011, scoring one goal...Scored in the 3-1 home npower Championship win over Derby County on 26 November 2011...Came off the bench to score West Ham United's second goal in a 2-0 npower Championship win at Middlesbrough on 29 November 2011...Scored in the 1-1 npower Championship draw at Birmingham City on Boxing Day 2011...Netted his first goal in six weeks in the 2-1 npower Championship win over Millwall at the Boleyn Ground on 4 February 2012...Scored in four of West Ham United's final five home npower Championship matches against Reading, Birmingham City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Hull City...Finished as top goalscorer with 14 npower Championship goals to his name...Totalled 40 npower Championship appearances, 28 of them starts...Started both legs of the npower Championship Play-Off semi-final victory over Cardiff City...Scored the opening goal in the 2-1 npower Championship Play-Off final win over Blackpool at Wembley on 19 May 2012.
2010/11
Scored in the pre-season friendly victories over Peterborough United and VfL Borussia Monchengladbach, the latter as captain for the first time...Netted in pre-season friendly wins at MK Dons and Ipswich Town...Finished the season as West Ham United's leading scorer in all competitions, having netted eleven goals...Made 35 Barclays Premier League appearances, 21 of them starts, and scored five goals...Scored twice in two FA Cup appearances, netting a brace in the 5-1 fifth-round win over Burnley...Scored twice in the 4-0 Carling Cup fifth-round victory over Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on 30 November 2010...Scored four goals in six Carling Cup appearances, including one in each leg of the semi-final defeat by Birmingham City...Totalled 43 appearances in all competitions, 26 of them starts...Booked five times in all competitions.
2009/10
Made 30 Premier League appearances, 26 of them starts…Scored ten Premier League goals, including one penalty in the 5-3 home win over Burnley on 28 November…Netted six goals in his first ten Premier League matches…Missed the period between 28 November and 26 February with a knee injury…Made two League Cup appearances, starting the home second-round win over Millwall…Booked four times.
2008/09
Made 27 Premier League appearances, 26 of them starts…Scored ten Premier League goals and 12 in total to finish as the club's top scorer…Netted in five consecutive Premier League matches between Boxing Day 2008 and 28 January 2009…Made one League Cup appearance, scoring as a substitute in the 4-1 home second-round win over Macclesfield Town on 27 August 2008…Started four FA Cup ties, scoring in the 3-0 home third-round win over Barnsley on 3 January 2009…Totalled 32 appearances and 12 goals in all competitions…Sent-off twice in the Premier League in the 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal on 26 October 2008 and in the 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic on 4 March 2009…Booked three times.
2007/08
Totalled 31 Premier League appearances, 21 of them starts, scoring four goals…Netted in the home Premier League meetings with Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur and Derby County and at Manchester City…Made four League Cup appearances, three of them starts…Scored the winner in the 2-1 League Cup fourth-round win at Coventry City and in the 2-1 home fifth-round defeat by Everton…Made two FA Cup appearances, starting the goalless home third-round draw with Manchester City… Booked nine times…Scored on his only Barclays Premier Reserve League South appearance as a substitute in the 1-1 draw at Reading.
2006/07
Joined West Ham United on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 5 July 2006…Scored with his first touch on his debut as a substitute in the 3-1 home Premier League win over Charlton Athletic on 19 August 2006…Scored his only other Premier League goal in the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United on 20 January 2007…Totalled 17 Premier League appearances, five of them starts, scoring two goals…Made two UEFA Cup appearances in first-round meeting with Palermo, starting the away leg…Started two FA Cup ties, scoring in the 3-0 third-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion… Booked four times…Totalled five Barclays Premier Reserve League South starts, scoring in the 1-0 win at Watford on 2 April 2007.
International career
Is of Nigerian and Sierra Leonean descent through his parents...Capped by England at U19, U20, U21 and senior level…Capped five times at U19 level…Capped twice at U20 level…Scored six goals in 19 appearances at U21 level…Called up by Nigeria in August 2008, but the call-up was later cancelled as it was discovered Cole was too old to switch allegiance from England…Called up by England for the first time for the friendly with Spain in Seville on 11 February 2009, making his debut as a 75th-minute substitute…Made substitute appearances in friendly matches against Slovakia, Netherlands, Slovenia and Egypt, as well as the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Ukraine and at home to Belarus in October 2009.
Before West Ham United
Joined Chelsea as a trainee in summer of 2001 at the age of 17...Made his first-team debut for Chelsea as a substitute for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the 3-0 home Premier League win over Everton on 6 April 2002…Scored his first senior goal on his first Chelsea start in the 2-0 Premier League win at Middlesbrough on 27 April 2002…Totalled 35 appearances and eight goals for Chelsea during five years at Stamford Bridge…Spent two months on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers between November 2002 and January 2003, scoring once in seven Championship appearances…Spent the 2003/04 season on loan at Charlton Athletic, scoring five goals in 22 appearances in all competitions…Spent the 2004/05 season on loan at Aston Villa, scoring three goals in 30 appearances in all competitions.
Any other business
DJs in his spare time...Posed naked for a calendar for the men's cancer charity Everyman...Is on twitter with the handle @CarltonCole1