Joe Cole is 'massive signing for Tampa Bay Rowdies and NASL'

Joe Cole
Crossing the Pond: Joe Cole has moved to the Tampa Bay Rowdies Credit: Getty Images

In January, when the Tampa Bay Rowdies were looking at players in England whose contracts were coming to an end this summer, one name jumped out - Joe Cole.

The NASL club wanted to make a "marquee signing" and the former Chelsea, Liverpool and England playmaker fit the bill perfectly.

Conversations soon began between the relevant parties and the following month the 34-year-old visited St Petersburg with his wife and three young children to take a closer look at the club and the area.

On Wednesday, after months of negotiations, Cole finally signed a deal to join the Rowdies until the end of the 2017 season, with a one-year option to extend.

“It’s a very exciting time for me,” said Cole, who has moved from Coventry City. “I’ve always envisaged playing in the United States at some point in my life and this opportunity came up. My family and I came out to visit a few months ago and everyone was lovely, they really made us feel welcomed. I’m really excited to get started and I want to be part of a successful team. 

"My desire to win football matches is still there, I’m not coming for an extended holiday. I want to win football matches and of course experience a new lifestyle with my family, but the priority for me is success on the pitch.”

The move generated big headlines both in England and the United States and Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell cannot wait to work with Cole.

"It's absolutely huge - it's a massive signing first and foremost for the Rowdies but also for the NASL," Campbell told The Telegraph. "It shows how much soccer has grown in the US - I've been here four years now and it's really exploded and signing a player like Joe is only going to increase the rate in which it grows.

"Everyone is really excited - everyone behind the scenes at the club has worked very hard to get this deal done and we're delighted to have completed it. 

"It's great in that he's match fit and I fully expect him to hit the ground running.

"His experience is going to be invaluable - on and off the pitch. Technically, he is one of the best players of his generation - maybe even a little ahead of his time regarding his attacking ability.

"We've had a good start to the season - everyone is in good spirits and how can signing a player of Joe Cole's calibre not get everyone excited? It's going to be great for the whole of US soccer to have him here while he can still play at a really high level."

On the long pursuit to land Cole - who joins former Chelsea team-mates Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba in North America - Campbell added: "We wanted to make a marquee signing - our owner wanted to do that. 

"The amount of players who come to the US is incredible but I wanted to make sure it was someone who came for the right reasons and could still perform at a high level. In January we looked at all the players who were coming out of contract in the UK and Joe's name jumped out at me."

Cole's transfer to the Rowdies is similar to that of Campbell's - moving from England to the States at a similar age, with three young children - and the head coach was delighted with Cole's mindset regarding the move to sunny Florida.

"There's a few similarities so hopefully I was able to give him experience regarding the way of life over here. From a football standard, it is a lot higher than many people in England know. I spoke to him about that.

"The big thing for me, from the numerous times we spoke, was his desire to continue playing and to continue being successful. It was massive for me. 

"It was big for me that he was coming to out here to be successful."

A coaching role has not been discussed, nor has a loan back to Coventry in the winter, which Tony Mowbray hinted at as a possibility.

Cole will now link up with Freddy Adu - another teenage player who had the highest of expectations placed on their shoulders.

The prospect of them playing together is unclear, however, as Adu, still just 26, has yet to break into the Rowdies' matchday squad this season.

Cole is due to make his debut against Rayo OKC - who have Georgios Samaras on their books - on May 14 if his paperwork is approved in time.

Update: Joe Cole was formally introduced as a Rowdies player on Wednesday. 

He said: “You get to a new stage in your career, and you think to yourself, ‘Where do I go? What’s the best option for me and my family?’ My competitive juices are very much still flowing, and I want to win things. So wherever I was going to play, I knew that my competitiveness would never change and I would always fight to win every game.

"We come over to St. Pete to have a look, and we fell in love with the place. Bill [Edwards], Lee [Cohen], and Stuart [Campbell] sold me on the club and how they want to win trophies and get the whole community behind them. It seems like, in America, clubs communicate with their local communities in a different way. It’s great, and I’m just really excited to get started.

"My family is really excited, and I think that we just need to get the first three or four weeks out of the way until we get fully adjusted and settled in. And yeah, hopefully we can get the three points on the weekend.”

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