Liverpool manager
Roy Hodgson claims midfielder
Joe Cole has chosen Liverpool
over other top sides due to football related reasons and not the
singular factor of economics.
Cole, who has passed a medical examination at Liverpool’s
Switzerland training camp, moved to Liverpool on a free transfer
having concluded his contract at Chelsea, and Hodgson is adamant
that Liverpool have signed ‘one of the best attacking midfield
players in England’.
"I'm very pleased because any concern that it was going to turn
into an auction all about money quickly disappeared after myself
and Christian Purslow had a long conversation with Joe," Hodgson
told Liverpool's club website.
"Obviously he is going to be a high wage earner because he is a
free transfer and he would be worth a lot of money on the transfer
market.
"We wanted to make it clear that we wanted him for football
reasons and only if he fitted in with our wage structure.
"I'm pleased to say that Joe has chosen Liverpool to come and
play football and not because of the money. That's a very
satisfying thing for me as a manager and for the club itself.
"He's one of the best attacking midfield players in England. His
appearances for Chelsea and England over the years have shown
that.
"He's a player that can play in a number of attacking positions,
which is very useful. He's a quality player.
"People will talk about qualities in different ways, but for me
he has an all-round quality that makes him a good player and one we
hope we can get a lot of use out of this year."
Cole made just 25 Premier League appearances for Chelsea last
season, scoring twice, and may make his Liverpool debut against
Grasshoppers on Wednesday night.