Chelsea forward Joe Cole claimed ‘grown adults’ used to come up and ask him for money when he was only 15-years-old.The three-time Premier League winner is still considered as one of the most naturally gifted players England has ever produced.
Murmurs about the then teenager’s precocious talent were emanating long before West Ham United convinced him to join their academy.The nation’s footballing eyes were on Cole, expecting and waiting for his sudden ascent into Premier League and international stardom.
However, as is often the case with football’s wonderkids, this led to some very bizarre ramifications away from the pitch.READ MORE: Joe Cole snubs Arsenal's Invincibles when naming best Premier League team he ever faced “There was one massive moment which I think when I was 15,” Cole said on the Vibe with Five podcast. “A front page of a tabloid made a nonsense story about me [being on] five grand a week.“The headline was ‘football kid earns more than the Prime Minister'.
It was Tony Blair at the time.”Inevitably, this led to many individuals in and around Cole’s social circle completely overhauling their previous behaviour around the youngster. “Everyone changed,” Cole added when asked if people began to act differently around him.What other footballing wonder-kids can you remember?
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