Ex-Chelsea man Joe Cole will not rush a decision on his future as he wants a manager who 'loves' him.
Midfielder blames foreign influx for World Cup flop
Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole will not rush a decision on his future as he searches for a manager who 'loves' him.
The 28-year-old is a free agent after his contract expired at Stamford Bridge, with boss Carlo Ancelotti deciding the ex-West Ham man did not feature in his plans.
Tottenham chief Harry Redknapp has held talks with Cole, having worked with the England international at West Ham, while Manchester United and Arsenal have also been credited with an interest.
But Cole is going to take his time over selecting his next club as he believes that his best years are still ahead of him and he wants to make the right choice.
He said: "I'm thinking about my own future now. I want to play in a more central position, like I did at West Ham.
"I feel I've got a lot more still to offer and my best days are ahead of me.
Dreadful
"I want the right kind of manager - a manager who loves me, who will put me in the team.
"At Chelsea there were players who could have two or three dreadful games before they were left out. I only had to have a dreadful 20 minutes and I was out."
Meanwhile, Cole believes the influx of foreigners into the Premier League is to blame for England's poor World Cup campaign.
"When I came through at West Ham our league was probably the fifth best league in the world," he said.
"A group of us came through at the same time and we were able to do that because of how things were in England then.
"Now, though, the Premier League is the best league in the world. That means it is much tougher for kids to break through.
"Maybe we're paying the price for having the best league in the world."
Success
Cole also backed up Franz Beckenbauer's assessment that there is too much "kick and rush" in English football.
"Every team I have played for - from West Ham to Chelsea to England - want to hit the front players as early as possible," he said.
"You won't get away with that at international level. It's about technique, keeping control of the ball, passing and moving.
"Chelsea do that more than other teams in the Premier League, and that's why we've been successful, and it's the same with Manchester United and Arsenal.
"I was brought up that way and that's always been the way forward.
"Maybe it's time to really look at how we are teaching kids to play. Is there talent coming through? To be honest, I don't know."
