Why Did Joe Cole Leave Liverpool Early Despite Being A Marquee Signing?

Former Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole recently spilt the beans on his brief, ill-fated spell at Anfield. It was nearly 13 years ago when Cole created enough buzz across England by joining Liverpool from Chelsea on a free transfer. As the Reds were going through a turbulent phase at that time, club fans hoped that Cole would help them regain momentum. In a shocking turn of events, the English international picked up an ACL injury during his last days at Chelsea that no doubt took a massive toll on his performance.

During a recent interaction with the ECHO, Cole reminisced about his initial days at Liverpool. According to him, his then-teammate Steven Gerrard once said, “Lionel Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better.” Referring to the remark, Cole said that Gerrard was actually impressed by his skills and ball-holding ability which perhaps led to the comparison.

“I think what Stevie was trying to say was probably that no one can do what Messi can do, but it’s more like I was that type of player. Someone who can dribble, handle the ball in tight areas and all that,” the footballer-turned-pundit said.

Cole further recalled how Gerrard played a key role in his transfer to Liverpool as the duo had already played together for the England national team. “I loved playing with Stevie for England. I had a nice combination with him, I liked playing with him, so the chance to link up at a club level was a big draw to play alongside him,” he said.

While Cole was Liverpool’s marquee summer signing of 2010, the club made some notable acquisitions during the following winter transfer window. After the FSG took over the ownership by replacing Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Liverpool shelled out a staggering £57.7m to secure the signing of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January 2011. They also confirmed the switch of Fernando Torres to Chelsea, a move that no doubt came as a shock for the Liverpool supporters.

Cole feels the FSG was in a hurry to part ways with him due to his hefty wage structure. He made only 33 appearances for Liverpool during the 2010-11 season before joining Lille on loan. Cole returned to Anfield in June 2012 but was released as a free agent the next January and rejoined his ex-club West Ham.