Editing Joe Cole (section)

===West Ham United===
Cole is a product of the [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] youth system. Playing in a mould similar to former England favourite [[Paul Gascoigne]], he progressed through the West Ham ranks and signed professional terms in November 1998<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/02/01/joe-cole-interview-15-story-came-5000-week-wasnt-true-just/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/02/01/joe-cole-interview-15-story-came-5000-week-wasnt-true-just/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Joe Cole interview: When I was 15 a story came out that I was on £5,000 a week - it wasn't true, I was just a kid|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=February 2019 |last1=Law |first1=Matt }}{{cbignore}}</ref> before making his first-team debut aged 17 on 2 January 1999 in an [[FA Cup]] third round tie against [[Swansea City F.C.|Swansea City]]. Eight days later he made his [[Premier League]] debut, away to Manchester United.<ref name=whustats>{{cite web|title=Joe Cole|url=http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=140&united=Joe_Cole|publisher=WestHamStats.info|access-date=4 January 2013}}</ref> In 1999, Cole was part of West Ham's victorious [[FA Youth Cup]]-winning squad (alongside [[Michael Carrick]]), defeating [[Coventry City FC|Coventry City]] 9–0 on aggregate in the final.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nav.thefa.com/sitecore/content/TheFA/Home/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFAYouthCup/History/TheClassOf99 |title=The Class Of '99 |publisher=[[The Football Association]] |access-date=1 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030195814/http://nav.thefa.com/sitecore/content/TheFA/Home/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFAYouthCup/History/TheClassOf99 |archive-date=30 October 2014 }}</ref> Cole played only eight Premier League games in [[1998–99 West Ham United F.C. season|his first season]] but in [[1999–2000 West Ham United F.C. season|the following season]], he made 22 Premier League appearances, was a member of the West Ham team which won the [[1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup]], scored his first goal for West Ham, in a 3–2 [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] win at [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] on 30 November 1999 and scored his first Premier League goal, in a 5–4 home win against [[Bradford City F.C.|Bradford City]], on 12 February 2000.<ref name=whustats/><ref name=fivefour>{{cite news|title=Hammers win nine-goal epic|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/fa_carling_premiership/640512.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=4 January 2013}}</ref> In January 2003, then West Ham manager [[Glenn Roeder]] gave Cole the club captain's armband at the age of 21.<ref>{{cite news|last=Davies |first=Christopher |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2397245/Players-back-Cole-as-captain.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2397245/Players-back-Cole-as-captain.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Players back Cole as captain |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=3 March 2003 |access-date=19 April 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Cole's last game for West Ham came on 11 May 2003 in a 2–2 draw with Birmingham City, a game which saw West Ham relegated from the Premier League.<ref>{{cite news|title=Birmingham City 2–2 West Ham United|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2978071.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=4 January 2013}}</ref> Cole won the "Hammer of the Year award" for 2003.