Cole, Joe John (1981– )

English footballer. An attacking midfield player, and one of the most skilful of his generation. He made his first team debut for West Ham when aged just 17, and quickly became an established member of the team. In 2003 he was transferred to Chelsea for £6.6 million. There he took some time to settle into the first team but was a regular in the side during the 2005–06 season when he won his second consecutive league title with the club. He also helped Chelsea win the 2005 League Cup. He made his England debut in 2001, and represented his country in the 2006 World Cup, playing on the left hand side of midfield and scoring a goal against Sweden in the first round.

His prodigious talent was recognized at an early age and in 1999 he was part of the West Ham youth team that won the FA Youth Cup. He has faced criticism at times in his career, often relating to his tendencies to attempt too much with the ball at his feet and to neglect his defensive responsibilities in favour of more attacking play, but after becoming an established player for both club and country he has developed into a more complete player. He was selected to the squad for the 2004 European Championships, but did not feature in any of the games.