Joe Cole Makes a Splash on Loan Debut

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(Bleacher Report) Joe Cole arrived on Merseyside just over a year ago with high hopes, a big contract and tons of belief that he was going to help lead the Reds return to the promised land that they have been so long removed from.

However, that did not happen as Cole continued to fall off the wagon and was left to fill mostly a fringe role last season as the Reds chased fifth place but could not claim it at the death last year.

The new season had a different twist to it as new faces streamed into the Reds Melwood camp, and Joe Cole was allowed to take his leave on loan for the season to France.

Having never been based with a club outside of England a loan move to France made since for Cole much more than one in England. His injuries over time have caused him to lose a step or two and he looked no longer able to cope with the pace and physical nature of the English game.

The French league would allow him to rely more on his skill and finesse and that is exactly what he got to use when he set up Eden Hazard in Lille's most recent game of the weekend as he helped to keep the defending champions in the top four of Ligue 1.

Cole looked totally revitalized during the match, and it looks like both he and Liverpool made the right decision. It is uncertain if he will return to Liverpool at the end of his loan spell, I expect that if he continues the way he has started he will remain in France.
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