Red alert: Liverpool new boy Joe Cole said he left
Chelsea to sign for the biggest club in England
Joe: 'I could have stayed at Chelsea I joint the
'biggest club in England'
Joe Cole has revealed he
signed for Liverpool because they are the 'biggest club in England'.
The England midfielder officially signed his four-year deal - worth
£80,000 a week - after leaving Chelsea this summer. And he has spoken for the first time
about his reasons for joining Liverpool - and snubbing a move
to Arsenal and Spurs.
The new Liverpool No 10 said: 'I could have stayed at Chelsea
because the fans loved me and I won things, but I wanted to
challenge myself and when I knew Liverpool were interested it was a
no-brainer because they are the biggest club in the country.
'I set myself a deadline to make a decision and when I made it I
sent a text to Christian Purslow and Steven Gerrard and then turned
my phone off.
I know I have made the right decision and I am looking forward
to the challenge. This is a challenge for me. I have played in
London all my life.'
'This is a massive club. I tried to take everything out of the
equation, take the financial and location side out and just thought
in football terms.
Breath of fresh air: Cole says he can't wait to get
started with new Reds boss Roy Hodgson
Cole revealed that he is exciting about working under
new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson, who replaced Rafa Benitez at the
end of the season.
He added: 'I had a chat with the gaffer about football and was
impressed with him. The club has had Spanish and French managers
over the years and I think it's a breath of fresh air to get an
Englishman in.
'The club finished seventh last year, which wasn't good enough,
and he explained where the club wants to go. I jumped on board
because with the players we have here and the players we are
looking to bring in, it's definitely going in the right
direction.
'I want to go out there and to run and fight for the lads and
the fans. That's what I'll always do and Roy is the man who can
make sure we are a nice unit as a team.
'It's all about us and being together as a team and having the
spirit which can take you a long way. If you add that to the
quality players we've got here we can go a long way.'
Cole has also welcomed the news that he will be playing
alongside Steven Gerrard next season after the Liverpool skipper
committed his future to the club.
He said: 'That was the best bit of news I could have had. I know
Stevie, he is Liverpool through and through and I know from playing
with and against him for the last 10 years what a quality player he
is.
'I know how much this club means to him. I think players can
play for other clubs but with Liverpool you have to live and
breathe it. It's that kind of a place. I am excited by the
challenge.
Let's get started: Cole wants to set the Premier League
alight with new team-mate Gerrard
'I am moving my family and everyone is excited and
booking their weekends up here. I am going to make it
work.'
'We've just had a young baby girl, but I'm 28 now and I have a
good family around me. I know people will make me feel welcome and
the response I have had has been amazing.
'I just want to get involved. When you move to a new club it's
important to immerse yourself into everything about it and that's
what I'll be looking to do. I know the fans are great with the
players and I will fight to try and win trophies for this
club.'
Cole, who has spent his entire a career in London with
West Ham and Chelsea, says he has no problems moving to
Merseyside - particularly after the seal approval from Kop legend
Jamie Carragher.
He said: 'That's as good as it gets, isn't it? I've always got on
well with Scousers. I actually roomed with a Scouser for a year at
Lilleshall - Ian Armstrong who went on to move to Liverpool.
' I know I'll have to take a few weeks to understand the
accents. I don't know how the Spaniards have coped with it. I have
always enjoyed good banter with them.
Cole also sent out a rallying call for the Liverpool fans,
saying: 'I know what they want and know they want a team to be
proud of. I'll go out there every day and live and breathe the club
and give my all.
'I just want to get myself fit. I'm a bit behind in my training
work but I want to get fit and help the team to achieve something.
I want to be part of a team that's capable of doing great
things.'
