Former West Ham United and Chelsea star Joe Cole has recalled a key moment in his England career which saw Arsenal legend Tony Adams offer him a helping hand.
Cole was talking about the youth within England’s squad ahead of the clash with Montenegro and the chat led to him remembering his first experience on the national team coach heading to training.
Cole was still at West Ham and was only 19 when he was called up for his first cap, with the midfielder overwhelmed by the big names sat down when he stepped on the coach for the first time.
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A talented but inexperienced teenager a little lost among legends, Cole explained that Adams took the opportunity to put his arm around the playmaker and chat to him ahead of the session.
“I remember getting on the coach for the first day of training and not knowing where to sit and what to do, with the likes of Shearer there,” Cole told ITV Sport.
“Tony Adams called me over whilst he was reading the Financial Times and he chatted to me. By the time we got to the training ground, I was calm.
“The lesson I took from that was to try and make the new players and the debutants always welcome later in my career.”
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