Joe Cole was box office. From the time he burst into the collective consciousness of English football, he was destined for the headlines.
Cole spent 13 years on the books at West Ham United and was a target for other clubs as soon as he turned professional.
He became one of the first signings Chelsea made under Roman Abramovich's ownership and it was a move that brought Cole plenty of silverware, but he was already hardened to the reality of stardom.
Joe Cole on speculation as a young player
"I was selected as one of the few players across the country to spend two years at the FA’s School of Excellence at Lilleshall," Cole tells FourFourTwo.
"I grew up a lot there – I was a kid from London getting towards year 10 and 11 at school, the time where some people can start going a bit off the rails, certainly where I was from.
"Instead, I was tucked away in a little footballing Hogwarts, in a little village in the middle of the country, meeting different types of people.
"It was the first time in my life that I’d met middle-class kids, whose parents had proper jobs. I met people from up north, people with different accents. The confidence I got from that time was really helpful.
"Soon, though, I ended up on the front page of a national newspaper, with the headline '£5,000 a week and he is just 16'. That was difficult, especially as it wasn’t true – I wasn’t on £5,000 a week.
"It was probably a slow week and they got a nonsense story. It’s hard to explain to people now, but making the front page of a national newspaper meant that you were effectively in everyone’s front room in the country.
"After that, everyone began to change towards me. It was very difficult to deal with and it really changed the course of my life.
"It attracted a different kind of attention, but I thought to myself, 'OK, now this is my new normal. Now every time I step onto a football pitch, I’m going to be judged.'"
Cole was considered a top prospect from a young age and went on to enjoy a successful career, winning three Premier League titles with Chelsea before playing in France and the United States.
The former West Ham wunderkind and former England international is now a well regarded football pundit.
