Former Chelsea and England international Joe Cole has named the best XI he has played with in his illustrious career.
Joe Cole played for West Ham, Liverpool, Lile, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Coventry City, and Tampa Bay Rowdies. He made 678 appearances in his career scoring 94 goals in the process.
The Chelsea Legend also made 50 appearances for the Three Lions scoring 10 goals from 2001 to 2010. He was lucky to play with the likes of Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, and many superstars.
Joe Cole’s best eleven he has played with.
In an interview with FourFourTwo, the former Chelsea and West Ham winger named the best players he had ever played with.
Goal Keeper- David Seaman
“I remember watching Euro 96 as a kid, and Seaman was a hero of mine. Getting to come through the ranks and play with him for England was an honor. He was a terrific goalkeeper: great in the air and an excellent shot-stopper. A national treasure.”
Right Back-Paulo Ferreira
“Paulo is one of the most underrated players in Chelsea history – he was so secure in and out of possession. He never gave a pass away and could get stuck in as well. He had lovely hair, too – he looked like a movie star! He still does, come to think of it…”
Center Back-Rio Ferdinand
“On the right, I’d have Rio. He and John Terry were extraordinary for England – defensively, Rio was top-notch. He was elegant and calm with a ball at his feet and had bags of pace. He was impossible to get past.”
Center Back: John Terry
“JT gets on my team. The man was a leader, simple as that – dominant in the air and good with the ball. He was an old-school center-half out of possession, but he could build play from the back as well as anyone.”
Left Back-Ashley Cole
“I played against Ashley so many times before I joined Chelsea and you’d never get any change out of him. Playing with him was brilliant, as he was constantly making runs forward; I played on the left-wing a lot and he’d give you the option to drive inside. One of the all-time great left-backs.”
Center Midfielder-Claude Makelele
“The governor. The main man. What a footballer. Makelele made that role in front of the back four his own. His short passing range rivaled the best players in the world – he’d always pick out a pass in space, even if it didn’t look like one was even on. And he did all of this with size six and a half feet. They were tiny!”
Center Midfielder-Frank Lampard
“He guaranteed your goals and his longevity was incredible. Season after season, Frank did the business for club and country. To score so many goals from midfield is astonishing, and his Chelsea record may never be beaten.”
Center Midfielder-Steven Gerrard
“Stevie was Roy of the Rovers, wasn’t he? He could do anything he wanted with a football and could play anywhere: full-back, midfield, upfront, probably even in goal! His tackling, passing, shooting, and leadership skills were phenomenal. I think he’s the most complete player I ever played alongside.”
Right Winger-Arjen Robben
“Arjen didn’t exactly have the best barnet in the world, but he’s got Paulo behind him so I’ve balanced it out! There was no one better at cutting in off the right-wing and shooting with his left foot. We didn’t see him for long enough in the Premier League, because the demands of English football weren’t suited to him. Chelsea played a 4-1-4-1 system under Jose Mourinho, meaning he had to work hard defensively. He runs Eden Hazard a very close second in terms of ability, though.”
Center Forward-Didier Drogba
“His hold-up play was just on another level – I saw him bully so many center-halves. Didier [left] was a big-game player and nothing fazed him, but he saved that mentality for matchday. In training he was calm. He was a leader, and this team is full of them.”
Left Wing-Eden Hazard
“I was at Lille with Eden – the most talented team-mate I ever had. He carried that side when he was only young, before moving to Chelsea and becoming the main man there too. It’s not worked out for him yet at Real Madrid, but he’s played over 700 games for club and country and in most of those people have kicked lumps out of him.”
Manager-Jose Mourinho
“Jose’s still a top boss and his record speaks for itself. I won four trophies with him at Chelsea. Don’t be surprised if he makes a big comeback at Roma and does something really special.”
Substitutes
- Ricardo Carvalho
- Wayne Rooney
- Jermain Defoe
