Carlton Cole

Carlton Michael Cole Okirie Carlton Cole made Carlton Cole first senior start three weeks later, scoring a goal as Chelsea beat Middlesbrough F.C. at the Riverside Stadium. Carlton Cole made one more appearance for Chelsea in the 2001–02 in English football season, in a 3–1 home defeat against Aston Villa F.C. in May 2002.

Cole started the 2002–03 in English football season in the Chelsea first team squad, scoring a goal and making another in the opening game of the season in a 3–2 win over Charlton Athletic F.C. after coming on as a substitute for Gianfranco Zola. Carlton Cole suffered a hairline fracture in Carlton Cole leg in August but returned to action in a Football League Cup tie against Gillingham F.C. in November, scoring two goals. Claudio Ranieri, the then manager of Chelsea, described Cole as being the best young player that Carlton Cole had ever coached, saying, "I've never coached a young player like Carlton. He's fantastic even though Carlton Cole hasn't really started Carlton Cole career yet. Carlton Cole has a very long contract, and, in my opinion, a very big future at Chelsea." However, with Eidur Gudjohnsen, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Gianfranco Zola available for selection, Cole's first team opportunities were limited and Carlton Cole was loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in November 2002 for one month, later extended to two months.

Having made seven appearances for Wolves, scoring one goal, Cole made a further twelve league and cup appearances for Chelsea in the 2002–03 season, in addition to the four that Carlton Cole made before going on loan to Wolves. and the winner against Bolton Wanderers F.C. in April 2003 as Chelsea pressed for a place in the UEFA Champions League.

Cole signed a new six-year contract with Chelsea in the summer of 2003, but with Adrian Mutu, Gudjohnsen, Hasselbaink and Mikael Forssell also battling for a place in the starting lineup for Chelsea, Carlton Cole joined Charlton Athletic F.C. on a season-long loan in August 2003, where Carlton Cole scored five goals in 22 league and cup appearances, Cole joined Aston Villa F.C. on another season-long loan. This move sparked off a dispute as Charlton were expecting Cole to return to the club as part of the deal that took Scott Parker (footballer) from Charlton to Chelsea. The dispute was later resolved when the two clubs reached a settlement. Cole scored three goals in 30 league and cup appearances for Aston Villa, in a season which was interrupted by a knee injury picked up in an England under-21 match against the Netherlands under-21 in February 2005.

Carlton Cole returned to Chelsea in the summer of 2005 where Carlton Cole appeared in pre-season friendlies. However, first team opportunities were limited by the presence of Didier Drogba and Hernán Crespo, and Cole made only 12 league and cup appearances for Chelsea in the 2005–06 in English football season, scoring one goal in an FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town F.C.. having made a total of 31 league and cup appearances for Chelsea, scoring eight goals. However, in a season of turmoil at West Ham in which the club only secured their place in the Premier League on the final day of the season, Cole was unable to establish himself in the first team, making 23 league and cup appearances, 15 of which were as substitute, and scoring three goals.

International career

Cole is of Nigerian and Sierra Leonean descent through Carlton Cole parents, but rejected the chance to play for either of the national sides of these countries. Carlton Cole was a regular member of the England national under-21 football team side, scoring six goals in 19 appearances, including two goals in the 3–1 win over Ukraine national under-21 football team team in August 2004. Peter Taylor (footballer born 1953), then England under-21 manager, claimed that Cole had "...the potential to break into the full England squad...".
In August 2008, Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu called Cole into camp ahead of Nigeria's World Cup Qualifier against South Africa national football team. However, it was later reported that Cole was ineligible to play for Nigeria as Carlton Cole was then too old to switch from one country to another. Cole received Carlton Cole first senior England National Football Team call up and cap on 11 February 2009 for a friendly against Spain National Football Team. Carlton Cole entered the action as a 75th minute substitution in the place of Aston Villa F.C. forward Gabriel Agbonlahor. England national football team lost the match 2-0, with goals from David Villa and a bullet header from Fernando Llorente. Cole was again named in the England squad for the games against Slovakia national football team and Ukraine national football team in the Spring of 2009.

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