LOSC Lille’s new loan signing Joe Cole, offloaded for the season by Liverpool Football Club, believes his decision to switch to a French club was correct after the former England attacker performed brilliantly on his debut for the French club.
Joe Cole delighted after playing first game for French Champions Lille
Cole gave a fantastic assist for Lille’s third goal in their 3-1 win over Saint-Etienne, while playing for only 25 minutes as he came off the bench.
Cole was speaking to reporters after the match, when he said: “I was so nervous, it was completely new. If I was making my debut for another English team, I would have known the style and the routines.
“I’ve learnt ‘droit’ and ‘gauche’ to turn right and left. I’ve also tried to learn ‘Man on!’ so, yes, I’m enjoying the challenge.
“On Monday, I am going to download some French and get cracking with that. Things are so different. For instance, we’ve got to clean our own boots and carry our own boots to games here.
“The club gives you a lot of responsibility. There are a lot of things changing and it’s a big challenge. But every day I go into work, it becomes a little bit more familiar and I think to myself, ‘Yeah, I’m in the right place here’ – the way they play football suits me down to the ground.”
Once Liverpool had decided to clear him off their wage bill, Cole snubbed offers from London clubs like Queen Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur, whilst also rejecting a lucrative last-minute offer from Aston Villa.
The former Chelsea midfielder added, “I could have gone to an English club but I just thought it was the right time to try a new challenge in a new country.
“I’m sure there will be some moments when I get the language mixed up but I am trying.”
“Anything less than a red card was always going to be an improvement wasn’t it?,” joked Cole while comparing his debuts for Liverpool and Lille.
“Seriously though, it’s been good. The manager wants me to come in slowly. It is a strong squad and he knows what I need.
“He says everything in French at half-time, so I just tried to listen. I didn’t think I knew any French but there are a few words I could make out, so it was all good.”
Cole has reportedly reached an agreement with Lille regarding the permission to stay in London while playing for the French Ligue 1 Champions, which means he will have to make an up and down journey of around 90 minutes every day via a train.
Tags: Football, French Ligue 1 Champions, Joe Cole, Liverpool Football Club, LOSC Lille
