05 Jun Why Carlton Cole Is the Perfect Example of How to Be a Footballer
West Ham fans were left broken-hearted a week or so ago as they learnt that Carlton Cole would not be staying at the club next season. With the former England international set to search for a new club over the summer, here is why Cole is a prime example of exactly how a footballer should act, and no, this isn’t a joke.
Carlton Cole joined West Ham in 2006 and scored his first goal just seconds into his dream debut against Charlton. It wasn’t a dream first season for the Hammers however, as he struggled to remain in the first team and made 23 appearances in all competitions, with 15 of those being off the bench.
Far from being the most profilic striker, Cole has managed to remain at the ambitious Hammers for almost a decade and has cemented himself into the fans’ list of favourites.
In almost 300 games at the club, he netted just 68 times, but when you consider the number of games he actually started along with the league position of the club for most of those games, it’s not a terrible record.
Football today revolves around money, and that is the sad truth. The teams with the most money win the leagues and those who struggle financially, drop down divisions more often than not.
Players will choose which club to move to depending on who offers the most money, making it difficult for fans to relate and connect to individuals who are only there for their paycheck. However, Carlton Cole is an exception.
When the Hammers were relegated to the Championship in 2011, Cole took a reported 50% wage cut to stay at the club as he felt partly responsible for their relegation (which he was). He scored in the Play-off final to gain promotion and has remained at the club since, scoring a number of key goals this season.