As one of the most talented Hammers ever to have graduated from our famous Academy of Football, JOE COLE made 186 appearances throughout his two spells down West Ham way, while also enjoying a successful season-long sojourn with Saturday’s opponents, LOSC Lille, in 2011/12...
It was only meant to be the briefest of brief cross-Channel flirtations.
Instead, it turned into a full-blown, 14-year French love affair that endures to this day.
Back in summer 2011, Joe Cole joined LOSC Lille on a season-long loan from Liverpool, where a niggling knee injury had sadly meant Merseyside misery for the former West Ham United wonderkid.
Amongst other things, the mercurial midfielder had already won three Premier League titles, lifted two FA Cups and appeared for Chelsea against Manchester United in a 2008 UEFA Champions League final featuring fellow Academy of Football graduates Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick.
But now, with his outstanding career veering astray down Anfield Road, the 56-times capped England international could have so easily found himself lost in France with neither map nor compass, too.
Thankfully, however, it was a switch that proved to be simply magnifique.
“I’d had sniffs of moving abroad before but it wasn’t meant to be,” says the 2006 Ballon d’Or nominee as he drives youngest son, Max, into deepest, darkest Essex for a summer holidays sleepover with his cousins. “You never know where football’s going to take you and my journey took me to France.
“It was such a great experience and, after playing in the Premier League for 13 seasons, it was a breath of fresh air for me. I fell in love with the country and - as a family - we’re still always going back, whether it’s up into the Alps or heading down to the South of France.”
While trailblazers like Glenn Hoddle (AS Monaco), Chris Waddle (Olympique Marseille) and former Hammer Clive Allen (Girondins de Bordeaux) had left the white cliffs of Dover behind in the late 1980s, Joe became the first England international to make the French connection since Trevor Steven had headed to Marseille two decades earlier.
“I was a bit of an anomaly at the time,” concedes Cole. “Approaching my 30th birthday, I was going well off the beaten track. A lot of young English players head abroad nowadays but back then it was unusual to leave the Premier League for France.
“Everything was amicable with Liverpool – I totally got it that Kenny Dalglish wanted to get me off the wage bill and move his squad in another direction, while I needed regular first-team football. I also appreciated that my knee injury meant I couldn’t do what I was once able to do on a football pitch.
“I’d only made nine Premier League starts during 2010/11 and, going forward, knew I needed to adjust my game. Sad as it was, a move away from Anfield worked for both parties.
“I could’ve stayed in the Premier League but - at that stage of my career - it was now or never if I was ever going to play abroad. Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa were interested in signing me but with the greatest respect to those clubs, they were middle of the road teams who weren’t going to be challenging for serious honours, while Harry Redknapp wanted me at Tottenham Hotspur, too.”
“That was a big temptation because after coming through the Academy, Harry had handed me my first-team debut and I love him dearly,” continues the 1999 FA Youth Cup winner, who made 149 appearances during his first, five-season spell down West Ham way. “Equally, I had to look at the bigger picture and, having spent so long with the Hammers and Chelsea, it would’ve been difficult to now play for Spurs. In my head, it all felt quite mercenary.”
“Then, I met Lille’s head coach, Rudi Garcia, whose conversation was all about football, football and more football… Now, there wasn’t any decision to be made. I was totally set on France,” insists Cole, who had previously helped the Hammers to their 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup triumph over FC Metz (3-2 on aggregate). “As a footballer, you’ll move between clubs throughout your career and whenever I went with my heart - rather than my head - it always worked out for me.
“Lille had just won Ligue 1 and, back in Europe, they’d be facing the likes of Inter Milan. Perhaps it was my last ever chance to play in the Champions League? I’d also heard good things about Rudi who’s gone on to prove himself as a top coach, managing some great clubs - Roma, Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais and Napoli. Now he’s in charge of the Belgium national team and, apparently, was once shortlisted for the West Ham job, too.
“Rudi was brilliant, starting me in different positions surrounded by some excellent players. Overall, I made 43 appearances during the season, scoring nine goals, too.
“Although they’d just sold the likes of Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle United) and Gervinho (Arsenal), Lille still had the likes of [future Hammer] Dimitri Payet and Eden Hazard, who’s the best footballer I’ve ever played alongside.
“Blessed with so much raw talent, how exciting was Eden Hazard? Back then, he was only 20 years old and it’d be lovely to think that, in some small way, I helped him on his journey.”
“Our mandate was to ensure that, as reigning champions, Lille had another great domestic season, while qualifying for Europe again, too,” contends Joe, who became a firm fans’ favourite during a 2011/12 campaign that saw Garcia’s garcons finish in third-spot behind champions Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain. “Although France won the FIFA 1998 World Cup and the UEFA European Championship in 2000, most of their squad played in Italy, Spain and England.
“In British eyes, there always seemed to be a slightly disparaging view of Ligue 1, but I immediately saw how unfair that was because France certainly stood up there with La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Premier League.
“The French are very tactical and there’s a real physicality about their game, too. Every match is tough and it’s no fun finding yourself at somewhere like Toulouse getting kicked up in the air. A kid at Rennes once did me with a challenge so painful that I’ve got it down in the top five worst tackles of my entire career. I tell everyone: ‘Just ask Lionel Messi how difficult it is to play in France!’.
“Rudi was a fantastic man-manager, too. He appreciated that I had a wife – Carly – and a baby daughter – Ruby – to consider, too. Situated in northern France, Lille’s closer to London than Liverpool – I could’ve got on the Eurostar from St Pancras for about £130 and been there in 80 minutes.
“But I wanted to do things properly and live in the city rather than try to keep commuting between England and France. We were also expecting our second baby – Harry – so Carly rented a flat in Marylebone and I got a place as close as possible to Lille station.
“Rudi actively encouraged me to pop home to see the family whenever possible, so I enjoyed the culture of France while knowing that home was just a train ride away.
“While I’d done French at school, just like every kid in my classroom, I’d hardly listened and just about learnt the words for what was in my pencil case. As a kid, I never thought I’d need to speak the language but that all changed and, having now grasped the basics down the years, I’d love to kick on and become bilingual.
“I’ll always love London because it’s filled with my people, but there were so many similarities with Lille, all the way from the supporters, the club’s move to a new stadium and even the weather.
“During my two spells at West Ham and seven years at Chelsea, I left an imprint because I was at both clubs for a long time, but despite only spending that one season at Lille, I developed a brilliant relationship with the fans.
“When I went back there last year to watch their game against Lyon, I got a fantastic reception from the crowd, who treated our entire family like royalty.
“LOSC Lille really remind me of West Ham United - the fans are very knowledgeable, they’re so passionate about their team and love anyone who puts in the hard yards for the cause. Because they’re just across the Channel, I always class them as one of my London clubs!”
Mission accomplished in France, Joe returned to Liverpool for the start of the 2012/13 season before embarking on an emotional New Year return to his beloved Hammers, where he made another 37 outings during two further campaigns in the Claret and Blue.
These days – having zipped up his kitbag and lifted the microphone – the engaging TNT Sports analyst is one of the best around, sharing his insight, experience and footballing nous with an enlightened viewing public.
But if a vacancy ever arises at Lille’s Office of Tourism, Monsieur Cole could easily be their man.
“I know it’s only August but I’d thoroughly recommend booking the train to December’s Christmas market because it’s a lovely city with such lovely people,” he urges before lastly turning his thoughts towards this afternoon’s final friendly, ahead of next Saturday’s big kick-off.
“I really want things to go well for Graham Potter because he’s a great manager and exactly the right fit for West Ham United. A very measured man, his story is incredible and I really hope that he enjoys a good start to his first full campaign in charge,” concludes Joe. “We had a brilliant chat at Rush Green last season and he’s got a great footballing philosophy. Given time and support, he’ll certainly take the Club forward and develop the younger Academy players, too.
“After the US tour and, ahead of next week’s opener at Sunderland, Saturday’s game is going to be another really good test for his team.”
*Interview conducted by Steve Blowers.
