Joe Cole has hit back at reports he will seek a transfer from West Ham United in January, claiming he will only leave the club when he is no longer wanted.
The former England international began his career in the claret and blue of the Hammers, and remained a popular figure even when he left for Chelsea in 2003. A disappointing spell at Liverpool followed, which was interrupted by a more successful loan at Lille, before he made an emotional return to the East End in January 2013.
Cole has so far made 17 appearances in the Premier League during his second stint at the club, but he has started just three times this season. And in the last of these, he was substituted before half-time as his former capital employers strolled to a 3-0 win at Upton Park last weekend. This has led to speculation that the 32-year-old could look to move on again when the transfer window reopens in the New Year.
However, the midfielder has wasted no time in dismissing such a possibility, by revealing he remains as happy as ever at West Ham. Indeed, if he is to leave the club in the winter or anytime soon, then it will not be his decision but that of manager Sam Allardyce.
“I’m really enjoying being back at West Ham as it’s a club that means so much to me,” he said. “As a squad we’ve still got a lot to play for this season and I’m determined to play my part in making sure we achieve the goals we set ourselves. I’m happy at the club and the only way I’ll be leaving is if they tell me they don’t want me anymore.”
Only goal difference is keeping the Hammers out of the relegation zone at the moment, and only three points separate them from bottom placed Sunderland. Fulham visit Upton Park at the weekend to close the month of November, before the hectic festive period brings seven matches, including a League Cup quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur.
