BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Carlton Michael George Cole Okirie (born 12 October 1983) is an English footballer of Nigerian and Sierra Leonean descent who plays for West Ham United as a striker.
Cole began his career at Chelsea in 2001, spending spells out on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Charlton Athletic and Aston Villa before being transferred to West Ham United in 2006. He made 19 England U21 appearances (scoring six goals), and made his full international debut for the England national team on 11 February 2009 in a friendly match against Spain.
Club career
Chelsea
2001–02
Cole was born in Croydon, London and began his career as a trainee with Chelsea in 2001 making his debut in April 2002 as a substitute for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in a 3–0 victory against Everton.[6] He made his first senior start three weeks later, scoring a goal as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.[7] He made one more appearance for Chelsea in the 2001–02 season, in a 3–1 home defeat against Aston Villa in May 2002.[8]
2002–03
Cole started the 2002–03 season in the Chelsea first team squad, scoring a goal and making another in the opening game of the season in a 3–2 win over Charlton Athletic after coming on as a substitute for Gianfranco Zola.[9] He suffered a hairline fracture in his leg in August but returned to action in a League Cup tie againstGillingham in November, scoring two goals.[10] Claudio Ranieri, the then manager of Chelsea, described Cole as being the best young player that he had ever coached, saying, "I've never coached a young player like Carlton. He's fantastic even though he hasn't really started his career yet. He has a very long contract, and, in my opinion, a very big future at Chelsea."[11] However, with Eiður Guðjohnsen, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola available for selection, Cole's first team opportunities were limited and he was loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 2002 for one month,[12] later extended to two months.[13]
Having made seven appearances for Wolves, scoring one goal against Norwich City,[8][14] his loan spell was cut short as Chelsea, needing cover, recalled him early in January 2003.[15] Cole made a further 12 league and cup appearances for Chelsea in the 2002–03 season, in addition to the four that he made before going on loan to Wolves.[8] He scored six goals in all for Chelsea that season,[8] including a spectacular, long-range left-footed strike against Sunderland,[16] and the winner against Bolton Wanderers in April 2003 as Chelsea pressed for a place in the UEFA Champions League.[17]
2003–04
Cole signed a new six-year contract with Chelsea in the summer of 2003,[18] but with Mutu, Gudjohnsen, Hasselbaink and Forssell also battling for a place in the starting line-up for Chelsea, he joined Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan in August 2003,[19] where he scored five goals in 22 league and cup appearances,[8] helping Charlton to finish the2003–04 season in seventh place in the Premier League.
2004–05
Despite Charlton being keen to retain Cole's services for the 2004–05 season,[20] he joined Aston Villa on another season-long loan in July 2004.[21] This move sparked off a dispute as Charlton were expecting Cole to return to the club as part of the deal that took Scott Parker from Charlton to Chelsea.[22] The dispute was later resolved when the two clubs reached a settlement.[23] Cole scored three goals in 30 league and cup appearances for Villa,[8] including a goal on his debut in a 2–0 win over Southampton in August 2004,[24] in a season which was interrupted by a knee injury picked up in an England under-21 match against the Netherlands under-21 team in February 2005.[25]
2005–06
He returned to Chelsea in the summer of 2005 where he appeared in pre-season friendlies.[26] However, first team opportunities were limited by the presence of Didier Drogbaand Hernán Crespo,[27] and Cole made only 12 league and cup appearances for Chelsea in the 2005–06 season, scoring one goal in an FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town.[8]He joined West Ham United in July 2006,[28] having made a total of 31 league and cup appearances for Chelsea, scoring eight goals.[8]
West Ham United
2006–07
Cole joined West Ham United in July 2006 for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year contract.[28] He scored seconds into his competitive debut for West Ham United after coming on as a substitute in injury time to seal a 3–1 home win against Charlton in August 2006.[29] However, in a season of turmoil at West Ham in which the club only secured their place in the Premier League on the final day of the season, Cole was unable to establish himself in the first team, making 23 league and cup appearances, 15 of which were as substitute, and scoring three goals.[8]
2007–08
Into 2007–08 and Cole began to repay the faith shown in him by the Hammers, scoring six goals and making an important contribution in the absence of the injured Ashton. Cole also ended the Barclays Premier League season with nine assists, illustrating his influential role in the side.
2008–09
It was the 2008–09 season, however, that saw Cole finally come of age. He scored twelve goals in all competitions, as well as picking up a further four assists. He started the2008–09 season in good form, scoring four goals in his first eight games. On 26 October, Cole received his first red card of his West Ham career against Arsenal, with a foul onAlexandre Song at Upton Park.[30] Cole's form earned him a new five-year contract, which he signed in November 2008, before England head coach Fabio Capello handed him a senior international debut in the friendly defeat in Spain in 2009.
2009–10
He continued the good form in 2009–10 season, made 30 Premier League appearances, starting 26 of them. He scored ten Premier League goals, including one penalty in the 5–3 home win over Burnley on 28 November. He was then linked with a £20million January transfer to Manchester United.[31] After netting six goals in his first ten Premier League matches, he missed the period between 28 November and 26 February with a knee injury. He also made two League Cup appearances, starting the home second-round win over Millwall. He was booked four times over the course of the season.[32]
2010–11
He was linked with a transfer to Liverpool in August 2010 for a free reported to be £20m which consisted of £15m including £5m in performance related add-ons.[33] On 26 December 2010, he scored two goals in one match in the Premier League for a first time in his career in a 3–1 away win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.[34] He also got a brace in the 4–0 League Cup quarter-final victory over Manchester United on 30 November. On 12 February 2011, Cole scored in a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. On 27 February 2011, Cole scored the final goal in West Ham's 3–1 victory against Liverpool within 2 minutes of coming on as a substitute at Upton Park.[35] Cole is one of a number of Premier League players that use Twitter to communicate with fans. In April 2011 he was fined £20,000 by the Football Association for comments he made on Twitter during England's friendly in March 2011 with Ghana. He admitted a charge of improper conduct over the tweet;- "Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face w/ the St George's flag!".[36]
2011–12
After failed bids from both Turkish club Galatasaray[37] and Premier League team Stoke City,[38] Cole confirmed he would be staying to help the Hammers fight for promotion back to the top flight. Cole came on as a 75th minute and 62nd substitute for Frederic Piquionne in the two opening games of the Championship season against Cardiff City andDoncaster Rovers without scoring. He started the next four games, scoring four goals; a crucial goal coming in the game at home against Portsmouth on 10 September when in the 76th minute he scored the winner in a 4–3 thriller, latching onto a Matt Taylor cross before heading into the top corner.[39] On 19 November 2011, Cole scored West Ham's 2000th away League goal in a 2–1 away win against Coventry City.[40] He scored his 50th goal for West Ham in the 1–1 draw with Birmingham City on 26 December 2011.[41] On 19 May 2012, Cole scored the first goal, his fifteenth of the season, in West Ham's 2–1 win over Blackpool in the play-off final, ensuring an immediate return to the Premier League.[42]
After the win at Wembley Cole confirmed that he, in loyalty to the club, cut his wages by 50% at the beginning of the season following the relegation, in order to be able to stay at West Ham. [43]
2012–13
Cole's first goal of the 2012–13 season came in a 3–1 victory against London rivals Chelsea on 1 December 2012, with a header inside the six-yard box to the near post.[44] Cole scored again on 23 December, putting West Ham in the lead in the 14th minute against Everton. In the same game he was sent off for a dangerous tackle against Leighton Baines.[45] West Ham appealed against the red card and it was overturned by The FA on 27 December 2012.[46] For the remainder of the season he was mostly used as a substitute or kept out of the team by Andy Carroll.[47]
On 21 May 2013, West Ham announced that Cole would be leaving the club at the end of the season. Cole had been at West Ham for seven seasons.[48]
2013–14
On 3 September 2013, after West Ham failed with a number of bids for strikers at the end of the transfer window, they approached Cole about returning to the club.[49] The move did not take place however, due to concerns over Cole's fitness.[50] After training at the club to regain his fitness, on 14 October 2013, Cole signed a short-term contract with West Ham, keeping him at the club until January 2014.[51] Cole made 6 starts and 8 appearances as a substitute for West Ham during this short-term contract.[52] His first goal in his second spell came on 30 November 2013 in his fourth game:[52] coming on as an 81st minute substitute for Modibo Maiga, Cole scored the second West Ham goal, barely a minute later, in a 3–0 win against Fulham. He went on to score 3 more goals, against Manchester United, Arsenal, and Cardiff City.
On 15 January 2014, Cole signed an 18-month contract keeping him at the club past the end of the 2014–15 season.[53]
International career
Cole has represented England at international level, making 5 under-19 appearances, 2 under-20 appearances and 19 under-21 appearances (scoring six goals).[54] He made his full international debut for the England national team on 11 February 2009 in a friendly match against Spain, where after latching onto a David Beckham pass, rounded the goalkeeper before his effort was cleared off the line. He has made seven appearances for England, all from the substitute's bench. He has the record for the most appearances as a substitute without ever starting a game.[55]
Club statistics
- As of 9 February 2014.[56]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2001–02 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | |
| 2005–06 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Total | 25 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 2002–03 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| Charlton Athletic (loan) | 2003–04 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
| Total | 21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 | |
| Aston Villa (loan) | 2004–05 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 |
| Total | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| West Ham United | 2006–07 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 3 |
| 2007–08 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 6 | |
| 2008–09 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 12 | |
| 2009–10 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 10 | |
| 2010–11 | 35 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 11 | |
| 2011–12 | 43 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 15 | |
| 2012–13 | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 2 | |
| 2013–14 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |
| Total | 225 | 53 | 12 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 256 | 64 | |
| Career totals | 303 | 64 | 18 | 7 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 344 | 80 | |
Honours
Chelsea F.C
West Ham United
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