I snubbed five-year Spurs deal to join Liverpool...it was a mistake, says Cole
- Former England ace owns up to nightmare two-and-a-half-year spell
- Boyhood West Ham fan admits he couldn't bring himself to sign for Spurs
By Daily Mail UK, 6 March 2013
Joe Cole, once the next darling of English football, has admitted he was wrong to join Liverpool in 2010, but is happy with his career again at West Ham United and intends to see out the remainder of his career at Upton Park.
Cole returned to his boyhood club for a second spell in January, after two-and-a-half forgettable years at Anfield.
And he concedes that he made a mistake in heading for Merseyside as a free agent after seeing his contract run down at Chelsea.
Off and running: Cole has made an impact for West Ham since joining in January
Cole admitted he never adapted to life at Liverpool, and says he was given no choice but to make a move as he could not bring himself to turn out for Tottenham Hotspur, who offered him a five-year deal in the summer of 2011.
'I can only play for teams that I’m passionate about and I think that’s what went wrong for me at Liverpool,' the 31-year-old midfielder told The Sun.
'I didn’t feel a connection with the club or the place that I had at Chelsea and West Ham.
'I had seven great years at Chelsea but the club wanted to go in a certain direction and I wasn’t involved. So I was left with two real options - Liverpool or Spurs.
Decline: Cole was once tipped to be an England star, but his last game for his country came in 2010
'Spurs was probably the best option because they were offering me a five-year deal and it meant I could stay in familiar surroundings.
'But I just couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t see myself pulling that Spurs shirt over my head. With the rivalry between Spurs and West Ham and Chelsea, it felt a bit mercenary.
Cole appeared in just 26 league games for Liverpool, and was loaned out to French side Lille in an attempt to regain his form.
But the 31-year-old, who has not played for England since 2010, has found his feet at West Ham under Sam Allardyce.
Pain stake: Cole admitted his risky move to Liverpool did not pay off