Football.co.uk's rundown of the 20 Premier League players to watch this season continues, with Liverpool's Joe Cole then next man on our list.
Name: Joe Cole
Age: 28
Club: Liverpool
- Premier League News / Transfer Centre / Premier League Fixtures
Liverpool's most high profile signing of the summer so far, Joe Cole will be looking to reinvigorate his career in the north west this season.
A product of West Ham's famous youth academy, Joe made his first-team debut for the club in 1998, going on to make 126 appearances over the next five years while scoring ten times in the process.
Despite being handed the captain's armband at the age of just 21, the tricky midfielder could do nothing to stop West Ham's relegation to division one in 2003.
That summer he was snapped up by Chelsea for a fee believed to be around £6 million. At first he struggled to establish himself in the first team, but when Jose Mourinho took over in the summer of 2004, Cole began to realise his huge potential.
He helped the Blues lift their first title for 50 years, going on to repeat the feat the following season. He also nailed down a regular starting spot on the left-hand-side of England's midfield after making his senior debut three years earlier.
After 183 appearances and 26 goals for the Stamford Bridge club he was unable to agree a new contract, leaving the club on a free transfer at the end of June.
A host of top clubs including Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United were all interested in him but eventually he chose to sign for Roy Hodgson's Liverpool at the end of July.
After a couple of years disrupted by injury and a lack of game time, Cole will be looking to reproduce his best form as a major part of Hodgson's new look Liverpool.
Source: DSG
