Definitions of Enigma found on the Web:

• Riddle: a difficult problem.
• Mystery: something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained.

There is no better single word in the English language that defines Joe Cole.

Thrust into the limelight at West Ham back in 1998, Joe Cole exploded into the scene aged just 17.

Hailed as the next Gazza, and coveted by Alex Ferguson, Cole was touted as the hottest prospect in English football.

It was Claudio Ranieri who signed Joe from West Ham in 2003 for £6 million, but it was Jose Mourinho who got the best out of him.

During the 2005-06 season he played some of his finest football football for Chelsea, culminating with a beautiful goal in the World Cup 2006, and was one of the only players to return home to media praise.

Injuries largely disrupted his following years affecting both fitness and form, and with the Premiership being a far different beast to that of 1998, more cultured defenders were wise to his step-overs, preference for cutting inside, and generally predictable play.

Joe always claimed his best position was behind the strikers, yet to play such a position relies on the player seeing runs and playing balls through to the strikers, or wingers.

Sadly Cole, more often than not tries to beat the man in front of him and either loses the ball, or is crowded out. It’s his inability to make the simplest of football decisions, opting for the ‘flash’ option too often which lets him down.

Now aged 28, and with over a decade of top flight football under his belt, he still doesn’t know his best position, and his game hasn’t really evolved nor adapted to the changing demands of the Premiership.

A free agent after reportedly high wage demands closed the door at Chelsea after a series of seemingly bad decisions, I hope Joe Cole has finally made the right decision. People may criticise his move to Liverpool, but it makes sense in many ways.

At Tottenham it’s unlikely he’d play in the middle of their favoured 4-4-2, and he doesn’t hold the shape well enough to be the wide-man in that formation, as we’ve seen often enough with Chelsea. Plus, is he better than what they’ve got already?

With the quality Arsenal have out wide, their deep lying strikers and attacking mid-fielders too, it’s doubtful he would get many games there either, and Wenger isn’t the biggest fan of English players anyway.

No, I don’t think Joe Cole went to Liverpool because they’re Liverpool. Let’s be honest, they’re not the most attractive proposition at the moment. I think Joe Cole went to Liverpool, because of Roy Hodgson.

The reason? Well you only have to look at another previously forlorn former Chelsea winger who’s career Hodgson revitalised recently; Damien Duff.

Hodgson plucked the injured and demoralised Duff from Newcastle and turned him into one of Fulham’s most impressive players, helping the club consistently punch above their weight during his tenure. Roy Hodgson could just be the one person who can save Joe Cole’s career, and help him finally fulfil some of his undoubted promise.

If he can work his magic and consistently get the best out of his new signing, then he will have succeeded where so many other top class managers have failed.

Hodgson could just be the key to unlocking the enigma that is Joe Cole.

Joe Cole arrived at Chelsea in the summer of 2003 for a £6.6 Million fee from West Ham Utd.

Signed by Claudio Ranieri as part of what was then, a dramatic change in the playing staff, after the arrival of new owner Roman Abramovich earlier that summer.

When Jose Mourinho took over in 2004 and implemented an attacking 4-3-3 system that saw his wide men run riot – Joe was used as cover for the injury prone Arjen Robben or Damien Duff, he popped up with a number of crucial goals securing first a Carling Cup (his first medal in professional football) and then Chelsea’s first championship in 50 years.

The next season saw perhaps the best form of his career as he helped secure back to back league titles for the first time in the clubs history, the standout moment being the fine individual goal that ripped apart Manchester Utd’s defence in a devastating 3-0 win that all but wrapped up the title.

Injury would dominate the rest of his time at Chelsea and spent most of his time being employed as an impact substitute having made 93 substitute appearances out of a total of 282 games for Chelsea.

Joe has scored 39 goals over 7 years at the club. His most prolific year being 2005/06 when he netted 11 times in 46 games (23.91%) in all competitions and found himself in the PFA Team of the Year for 2006.

In 2007/08 he netted a further 10 goals in 54 appearances (18.52%). leading to him being voted Chelsea Player of the Year in 2008.

After an 8 month lay-off, he made a return to the starting squad in Chelsea’s Carling Cup Match with Queen’s Park Rangers on September 23, 2009, in which he was also captained the side to a solid 1-0 victory.

Cole made his first Premier League appearance of the 2009-10 campaign against Blackburn Rovers. He played in the attacking midfield role and influenced Chelsea to a 5 goal demolition against Blackburn.

On the 8th November 2009 Cole played his 250th game for Chelsea, coming on as a substitute against Manchester United on his 28th birthday.

Later on 21st of November 2009 he scored the last goal in Chelsea’s 4-0 win against Wolverhampton.

Towards to end of the season, he scored the opener against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the 3rd of April 2010, after 19 minutes with a masterful back heel flick from a Florent Malouda cross, Chelsea went on to win the game 2-1

Overall Joe has scored 52 times in 396 appearance (13.13%) for West Ham and Chelsea and has netted 10 goals for England in 54 appearances (18.52%), including the memorable flick and dipping volley in the 34th minute, against Sweden on the 20th of June in the 2006 Germany World Cup, Joe later added an 85th minute assist for Steven Gerrard to score, Cole was awarded the Man of the match award for his performance and received great praise from Swedish fans and media.

Joe Cole’s Chelsea Honours:

* First Division/Premier League: 3 (2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10)
* FA Cup: 3 (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10)
* Football League Cup: 2 (2004-05, 2006-07)
* FA Charity Shield/FA Community Shield: 2 (2005, 2009)

Joe Cole is the 7th all time European game appearance maker for Chelsea with 53 appearances, of which 16 were from the bench.

Joe has been released as a free agent after failing to agree terms and will be allowed to leave when his contract expires at the end of the June. TheChels.co.uk would like to thank Joe Cole for his excellent spell at the club and wish him all the best for the future.

Football’s magic isn’t it? Yes, even during the close season.

Is it called the close season because everyone keeps their cards ‘close’ to their chest I wonder? Story after story, rumour after rumour. Very few pieces of hard fact.

And the scope for Fleet Street’s finest – oh sorry, you can’t call them that anymore can you? That would imply reporters’ gathering real news, informative journalism at its best; opinion and comment based on fact…. Aah, those were the days….

Now where was I? Oh yes, the scope for Fleet Street’s finest to do a spot of fantasy writing. So, the facts of the close season so far. What do we know? That is, KNOW, as in fact?

One or two minor to middling transfers have gone through already, and Carlo is holidaying at the same place as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Neither Joe Cole nor the club have gone public about the player’s future, oh and Rafa and Liverpool have parted company.

And so, on the basis of “if yer can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”, lets copy the press and see what house of cards we can make from those last two facts.

Rafa first. He didn’t look overly convinced at the end of last season, when he spouted the oft-used “I’ve got four years left on my contract” phrase, but I didn’t expect him to leave this soon. There’ve been many times during the George and Tom debacle when he could have, and perhaps should have, walked. But he had a close bond with the club and especially the fans, and so stayed. So why now?

Obviously something has happened behind the scenes to make him feel enough is enough, and given what he has put up with so far, that can mean only one thing.

Liverpool are drowning in an ocean of debt, and have been thrown a lifeline with offers for Ickle Stevie and Fernando Torres – and they have grabbed them with both hands. There is no way that Rafa would tolerate the sale of either of those two – and that may be the reason he has left the club so suddenly.

Now we all know ‘The Special One’ likes Gerrard, and I for one think he would do well under Jose, such is the Spanish league, he would have a maximum of three or four tough domestic games all season. The rest of the time he could show off his undoubted talent. Coupled with alleged domestic strife, my feeling is that he would welcome a move and he’ll go.

So what of Torres? Is our reported interest in Benayoun and Mascherano just a clever smokescreen for a behind-the-scenes bid for one of the best strikers in the world? Get the deal done quickly George, avoid the fan’s backlash and get the cash! Right you are, Tom.

And Joey? Well, I don’t know. Chelsea like to go about things quietly, behind closed doors, with the minimum of fuss. So while the club are sealing their deals with Torres, Ibrahimovic or whoever may be wearing the famous blue next season, the press are diverted and enthralled by the smoke and mirrors of Joey’s on-off, will he-won’t he saga.

With those deals complete, Joe Cole’s part in the ploy is over and he signs with us again. The ruse is a success, and the magic complete!

It’s all up in the air at the moment, and that’s the way it should be. Devious manoeuvres by clubs and agents, sleight of hand, trickery and misdirection …. they all serve to divert attention from where the real action is.

And that really is magic.