Joe Cole was a pretty exciting player in his youth, and while he may never have truly fulfilled his potential, he still achieved plenty. He won three Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Chelsea, and even got a Ballon d'Or nomination in 2006.
He burst onto the scene with West Ham United and looked to be one of the biggest talents emerging in England. Highlighting this, Jack Wilshere would later call Cole a personal idol when he was growing up.
The attacking midfielder would spend his best years at Stamford Bridge, but spells at Liverpool, Lille, West Ham, and Aston Villa would see him line up alongside plenty of big names. His international career, playing for England between 2001 and 2010, would also see him mix with the biggest names of that Golden Generation.
However, despite being able to call Three Lions legends such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham all former teammates, he snubbed every one of them when naming the 'most talented' footballer he played alongside.
Cole Named His Most Talented Teammate
Picked Lille icon Eden Hazard
Speaking in 2022, Cole was asked by FourFourTwo to list his perfect XI of former teammates. With a whole plethora of talent to choose from, he named many big stars. The aforementioned Lampard and Gerrard made the cut, as did Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand.
The former midfielder would also pick Eden Hazard in the team, but he then referred to him as his 'most talented teammate', saying:
“I was at Lille with Eden – the most talented teammate I ever had. He carried that side when he was only young, before moving to Chelsea and becoming the main man there too.
Joe Cole with Eden Hazard
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joe-cole-champions-league Related
Joe Cole Named His All-Time Greatest Champions League 11
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo unsurprisingly made Joe Cole's all-time Champions League XI.
Cole Also Spoke of Hazard's Struggles in Madrid
"People have kicked lumps out of him"
Many would assume the pair played together in England at Chelsea, but their paths actually crossed in 2011/12 when Cole spent the season on loan with Ligue 1 side Lille. The loanee scored a respectable nine goals and picked up a further six assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.
Hazard was very much the star of the show, though. The Belgian – playing in his final campaign before joining Chelsea – regularly tore up opposition defences and finished the season with 22 goals and 22 assists in 49 outings.
He would then go on to achieve special things at Stamford Bridge before injuries disrupted an ill-fated big-money move to Real Madrid. Speaking in 2022, Cole noted Hazard's struggles in Spain, saying: "It’s not worked out for him yet at Real Madrid, but he’s played over 700 games for club and country and in most of those people have kicked lumps out of him.”
Sadly, things didn't really work out for Hazard in Madrid. He would ultimately retire in 2023, having scored just seven goals for Los Blancos in 76 games. Even though the end of his career was a big disappointment, the Belgian is still regarded as one of the best wingers of the modern era.
Stats via Transfermarkt