I joined Liverpool from Chelsea – I was wrecked and shouldn’t have moved

Former England international Joe Cole spent seven years at Chelsea before moving to Liverpool in 2010, but his time at Anfield was a miserable one.

Cole ended his seven-year spell in west London in 2010 when he signed for the Reds on a free transfer that appeared to be a stroke of genius for Liverpool.

However, just before Cole made tracks for Anfield, host to today’s clash with Chelsea (October 20), a serious knee injury had him benched for almost a year, interrupting talks for an extended contract at Chelsea.

“My ego got involved a little bit and football was more of a struggle. I would play, knee would blow up. I couldn’t do certain things that I used to be able to do. I needed an ice pack [after every game on my knee], I was in a lot of pain. It’s very rare you get back to where you were… something subconsciously clicked and I thought to myself, ‘I’m never going to get [back] to the player I was. I’ve got to leave.’ Because I don’t want to finish my Chelsea career just sitting there on the injury table.”, said Cole.