During his 16-year career, Carlton Cole navigated through England's youth ranks before making his senior debut in February 2009.
The former striker for Chelsea and West Ham earned seven caps over the next 13 months, all from the substitutes bench – a record that stood out at the time.
Carlton Cole on his England snus experience
Cole has consistently shared humorous anecdotes from the Three Lions' training ground, including a memorable incident involving Viagra that he endured courtesy of Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe.
But that wasn’t his only noteworthy story. Reflecting on his playing days, Cole recounted an amusing experience related to snus. “Some of the lads back then had this thing called snus. They said, 'No, trust me, it's good for you.' I didn't even realize it was tobacco. I just smelled it; it was minty. So I thought, 'I’ll have a go.'
“I was in one of the rooms with some of the lads. They were all playing computer games. They encouraged me, saying, 'Coley, it can help settle you down.' I thought, 'Oh, is it? I'll have a go.' So, I put this tea bag under my lip.
“One guy told me to hold it there. I said, 'It's stinging.' He insisted, 'No, hold it there, it's just getting into your system, you're going to feel great afterwards.'
“I have a tendency to try things I shouldn’t just because others are doing it. After about five minutes, I began to feel a bit… I'm not going to say who gave it to me.
“Then I started feeling light-headed, thinking, 'Oh, this is alright.' Suddenly, my stomach churned. I remember sliding into the bathroom, gripping my stomach in pain. I found myself on the tiled floor in a foetal position, all from trying snus. The lads were laughing their heads off!
“I’ve never touched snus since (laughs)!”
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