Ten things you need to know about new Liverpool FC signing Joe Cole
* Joe was a child prodigy who received national media attention as a schoolboy, famously scoring 7 of the 8 goals the England youth team scored against Spain in one match.
* Manchester United reportedly offered to pay ã10 million for his services as a 16-year-old.
* In 1999 Cole was part of West Ham's victorious FA Youth Cup winning squad (alongside Michael Carrick), defeating Coventry City 9-0 on aggregate in the final
* Cole's first appearance for West Ham against the Reds at Anfield was in February 1999 when he played in a 2-2 draw before being substituted after 80 minutes by Gavin Holligan
* Became West Ham captain at the age of 21 at the beginning of 2003 but left the club to join Chelsea in May that year after the Hammers were relegated despite gaining 42 points, the highest total a team has gone down with in the Premier League era
* In 2004/05, Cole scored the only goal in both Premier League meetings with Liverpool - he couldn't stop the Reds knocking Chelsea out of the European Cup at the semi-final stage however.
* Cole was also the match-winner in the 2007 Champions League semi-final first leg between Chelsea and Liverpool - again it was the Reds who reached the Final.
* In his seven years at Chelsea, Cole won three league titles and two FA Cups
* Cole has represented England 56 times at senior level, scoring 10 goals in the process.
* Cole married model and former 'I'm A Celebrity' contestant Carly Zucker on 20 June 2009 - they had their first child, Ruby, in March 2010
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