Joe Cole, Luxury Player

THIS YEAR’S MUST-HAVE AUTOBIOGRAPHY

‘I want to tell you about how football – English football – felt different for me. For much of my life it felt like I was in the wrong place, trying to play a different tune.’

One of the best players of his era, Joe Cole grew up playing football in North London’s estates, and his ability, grit and hard work took him to the very top. But Joe was often mistrusted by managers and out of step with the style of English football in the 2000s. The game was suspicious of creative footballers it considered luxury players – the kind it could regard as an indulgence.

With honesty and an eye for the absurdities of football, Joe takes us inside the dressing room to reveal it all. From his days at the FA’s School of Excellence at Lilleshall and rising through the ranks as a teenage prodigy at West Ham, to signing for Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea and winning it all under Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, before being discarded by his boyhood club after a remarkable 7-year spell.

He offers an insider account of a fascinating era in modern football, playing alongside the likes of Lampard and Drogba, Beckham and Rooney, Gerrard and Di Canio. He talks about his experiences playing for England’s so-called Golden Generation, his extraordinary goal against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, and the reality of being managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

It was a remarkable career. Then came the tumultuous end, as Joe battled severe injuries and his family suffered loss. He takes us on the journey of a great player coming to terms with his waning powers as his body began to fail him and the sport moved on. Football had given him everything. But then, it was over.

Candid, raw and unforgettable, this is Joe Cole’s story, a must-read for any football fan.

Author Biography

Joe Cole is a former footballer who played for West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool, Lille, Aston Villa, Coventry City and Tampa Bay Rowdies. A club legend at West Ham and Chelsea, he is widely regarded as one of the most technically-gifted English players of his generation. He made 679 club appearances in his career, scoring 94 goals and winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a League Cup (and not forgetting the Intertoto Cup at West Ham). Joe also won 56 caps for England and played at three World Cups. He is now a pundit for TNT Sports as well as the co-host of two weekly podcasts – Football’s Greatest and The Dressing Room.