Joe Cole, Luxury Player

The candid memoir from the Chelsea, West Ham and England legend
The long-awaited memoir from England, Chelsea and West Ham legend, Joe Cole

A WATERSTONES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025
SHORTLISTED FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR AT THE 2026 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS

'EVOCATIVE' The Guardian
'COMPELLING AND BRILLIANTLY CANDID' Daily Mail
'A GREAT BOOK' Jake Humphrey, High Performance Podcast

CANDID, RAW AND UNFORGETTABLE, THIS IS JOE COLE'S STORY - A MUST-READ FOR ANY FOOTBALL FAN

One of the best players of his era, Joe Cole grew up playing football in North London's estates, and his ability, grit and hard work took him to the very top. But Joe was often mistrusted by managers and out of step with the style of English football in the 2000s. The game was suspicious of creative footballers it considered luxury players - the kind it could regard as an indulgence.

With honesty and an eye for the absurdities of football, Joe takes us inside the dressing room to reveal it all. From his days at the FA's School of Excellence at Lilleshall and rising through the ranks as a teenage prodigy at West Ham, to signing for Roman Abramovich's Chelsea and winning it all under José Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, before being discarded by his boyhood club after a remarkable 7-year spell.

He offers an insider account of a fascinating era in modern football, playing alongside the likes of Lampard and Drogba, Beckham and Rooney, Gerrard and Di Canio. He talks about his experiences playing for England's so-called Golden Generation, his extraordinary goal against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup, and the reality of being managed by Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

It was a remarkable career. Then came the tumultuous end, as Joe battled severe injuries and his family suffered loss. He takes us on the journey of a great player coming to terms with his waning powers as his body began to fail him and the sport moved on. Football had given him everything. But then, it was over.

Contributor: Jason Flemyng (Read by), Sam Wallace (Read by)

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.