Joe Cole was at the pinnacle of his career as one of the initial signings under Roman Abramovich’s ownership of Chelsea.
Cole joined the club from West Ham United in 2003, just a year before Jose Mourinho took the helm, igniting a transformation at Chelsea.
They quickly achieved success, clinching Chelsea's first title of the Premier League era in 2004/05, finishing 12 points ahead of Arsenal.
Joe Cole on Chelsea's Premier League Title Celebrations
"We won the Premier League with a victory at Bolton, and I nearly fell off the roof of the bus during the celebrations!" Cole shared.
"I was so ecstatic, I’d taken the sunroof out to climb on top of the bus, spraying champagne on the crowd of Chelsea fans when I slipped and found myself holding on like Indiana Jones. I thought, ‘I’d better get back inside the bus!’
"Didier Drogba and I always had a tradition during trophy presentations – when we won our first trophy together, the Carling Cup, we both took off with the trophy, prompting the others to shout, 'F**king hell, share it out!'
"This became a running joke – every trophy celebration after that felt like we always had to celebrate the most!"
A famous clip of Drogba running with the Champions League trophy in 2012 echoes this playful tradition. Cole and Drogba brought home many trophies, with Cole securing the Premier League title twice more in 2005/06 and 2009/10. Drogba scored the decisive goals in both FA Cup finals Cole won with Chelsea.
In total, the duo played 143 matches together for Chelsea, winning 88, and combined for 15 goals during their era of triumph. Cole transferred to Liverpool in 2010, later returning to West Ham United in 2013 after a loan stint at Lille.
The England international, with 56 senior caps and a World Cup goal, concluded his playing career with Aston Villa, Coventry City, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Throughout his decade-long international career, he scored 10 goals. Now, Cole is a prominent television pundit, analyzing matches in the Premier League, FA Cup, and European competitions regularly.
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