Exclusive – Cole on the hunt for new club after confirming West Ham exit

Joe Cole has told talkSPORT he is on the hunt for a new club after leaving West Ham.

The midfielder came off the bench during the Hammers’ defeat to title winners Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season, but has found regular first-team football hard to come by under Sam Allardyce.

The 32-year-old, a product of West Ham's academy in his youth, sealed a return to Upton Park on a free transfer from Liverpool in January 2013, and now his 18-month contract has come to an end Cole is looking for pastures new.

“I’m a free agent now and I’m looking for a new club,” he told talkSPORT.

“My relationship with West Ham is great, but obviously it didn’t work towards the end of this season, I didn’t play enough.

“So I’m just going to take my time over the summer and find the right fit. At this stage of my career money isn't important to me, I just want to enjoy my football, I want to compete and I want to play more.

“I also want to move back into a more central position, go to the club where I have a good connection with the manager and I'd also like to help the younger players in the squad with my experience, if I can.”

The ex-England international also reflected on his short stint at Anfield, where he made just 26 league appearances in two seasons, explaining that the club’s change of ownership made it difficult for him to force his way in the first-team fold.

He added: “It’s a difficult one for me because as soon as I signed for Liverpool, the owners who signed me all left.

“It was a club in transition, the new owner then came in with new ideas and I didn’t get a run in the side that I perhaps needed to find my best form and get a regular spot in the team.

“So it was hard for me there but the fans were great. It was the first time I’d ever lived outside of London and they made me feel very welcome, but the football just didn’t work.”