Joe Cole believes it is time for his beloved West Ham United to ‘grow up’ and become a major force in football - or face being left behind for good.
Cole's life story is intertwined with The Hammers, having graduated through the ranks of the so-called ‘Academy of Football’ to play for them twice during his illustrious career.
Yet the club which put him on the road to three Premier League titles have been in turmoil prior to two successive wins, with the team stuck in the relegation zone and off the pitch the fans are in open rebellion against the ownership.
Joe Cole Releases Autobiography
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Cole, 44, has released his memoir this week and it is clear West Ham remains close to his heart which is why he feels so passionately about their predicament.
He told GiveMeSport exclusively: “West Ham is like having a teenage kid when you want to grab them and show them the right path but they keep doing mad things, yet you still love them.
West Ham is the sleeping giant of world football. You see that on their European campaigns. You see the love, the respect, the admiration, and the history of the club.
“They are known all over the world and don’t have to market themselves. The reputation of the club in so many ways carries them forwards. It’s an accidental reach if you like. They are a very organic club.
“Yet none of this is getting them anywhere.
“Every decision I have made in my life on intuition has been right. As a kid I could have gone to any club in the country but I chose West Ham and it was right. I just felt right.
“Harry Redknapp and Billy Bonds were the managers and there were just other good people that I could relate to there.
“There wasn’t much organisation or structure yet I vibed with that. I really liked the way it was.
“There was a charm to it, but football has changed. Football has changed.
“You can't be a charming young man all your life, you've got to grow up and be an adult.
“I'm not saying some Messiah is going to walk in there and sort it from day one, it needs to be strategic, and it needs to be purposeful. It needs to be different. It needs to look different.”
West Ham regularly appear in the Deloitte rich list of top 20 clubs for turnover. Yet they rent a ground from London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Transfer strategy has been ad hoc leading to a perceived lack of long-termism as opposed to much smaller clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth, who are punching above their weight because of astute planning.
Cole won the now defunct Intertoto Cup with West Ham but that foundation at Upton Park set him up to enjoy huge success with Chelsea and play 56 times for England.
His autobiography ‘Luxury Player’ charts his upbringing on a tough North London council estate and reflects on the relationship with his devoted, non-biological father George who instilled strong values of plain-talking, honesty and freedom of expression into his life and into football.
Cole will not make a penny from sales but two charities: It’s Never You, which supports families with terminally ill children, and Onside Youth Zones, which provides a network of youth facilities nationwide, will benefit from his book.
Cole told GMS: “You couldn't get people from Brentford or Brighton and put them in West Ham because no football club is the same. It's like your children have different personalities.
“You raise them differently. But in terms of potential, West Ham’s is massive. And if West Ham could get up to speed but keep the charm and the realness, then it will be like lighting a flame under the club. There'll be nothing stopping it.
“It's frustrating, really, because with the right leadership that club can be right at the top of English football. It really can.”
Nuno Espirito Santo is West Ham’s third manager since January. There were only five in the decade between 2003 and 2013 when he was away searching for greater glory at Chelsea, Liverpool and Lille.
'Clock Ticking' for Jarrod Bowen at West Ham
Jarrod Bowen
Captain Jarrod Bowen is the jewel in a tatty crown of a squad woefully underachieving. An England regular and an often frustrated figure in claret and blue.
The winger’s loyalty is being tested to the limit with West Ham in disarray just two years on from him scoring the winning goal in the Conference League final that won a first trophy in 43 years and was supposed to herald a new era of growth.
Even if they stay up this season, there’s every reason to suspect Bowen could leave to understandably pursue higher things in his career.
Cole said: “You have a finite amount of time in the game. When Jarrod’s head hits the pillow every night he needs to know whether he can play Champions League or for England regularly.
He can, but he needs to know it. There's a clock ticking on a career. When you're a player, your loyalty is how committed you are, how much you play and fight for the club.
“You get one go on the roundabout. At some point every footballer, no matter who you are, will be told one day they don’t want you anymore. Even Ryan Giggs got it at Manchester United. Loyalty in football is a funny word.
“Nuno's coming in for the clean-up and West Ham fans have got to get on board with that, because it's not going to be pretty. That's and it can't be pretty. But the lads need to stick together with Nuno and get the best out of themselves.
“But West Ham need to invest in January. It’s like being stuck in a muddy field at night and along comes a taxi. The fare might be £50 but you’ve got to pay it to get home.”