Joe Cole, Luxury Player

A WATERSTONES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025

'EVOCATIVE' The Guardian

'COMPELLING AND BRILLIANTLY CANDID' Daily Mail

'A GREAT BOOK' Jake Humphrey, High Performance Podcast

Candid, raw and unforgettable, this is Joe Cole's story - a must-read for any football fan.

One of the best players of his era, Joe Cole grew up playing football in North London's estates, and his ability, grit and hard work took him to the very top. But Joe was often mistrusted by managers and out of step with the style of English football in the 2000s. The game was suspicious of creative footballers it considered luxury players - the kind it could regard as an indulgence.

With honesty and an eye for the absurdities of football, Joe takes us inside the dressing room to reveal it all. From his days at the FA's School of Excellence at Lilleshall and rising through the ranks as a teenage prodigy at West Ham, to signing for Roman Abramovich's Chelsea and winning it all under Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, before being discarded by his boyhood club after a remarkable 7-year spell.

He offers an insider account of a fascinating era in modern football, playing alongside the likes of Lampard and Drogba, Beckham and Rooney, Gerrard and Di Canio. He talks about his experiences playing for England's so-called Golden Generation, his extraordinary goal against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, and the reality of being managed by Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

It was a remarkable career. Then came the tumultuous end, as Joe battled severe injuries and his family suffered loss. He takes us on the journey of a great player coming to terms with his waning powers as his body began to fail him and the sport moved on. Football had given him everything. But then, it was over.