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Cole burning to end Liverpool’s trophy drought

Liverpool’s recent lack of success has not gone unnoticed by Joe Cole.

Since Steven Gerrard lifted the FA Cup in 2006 after a penalty shootout victory over West Ham, Cole has won one Premier League title, two FA Cups and a League Cup.

Now the England midfielder wants to help his new club sample fresh highs rather than seeing Liverpool reduced to savouring the memories of distant triumphs.

From the autograph hunters huddled outside the Shankly Gates to the well-wishers milling round the city centre hotel in which he is temporarily staying, Cole appears to have already made an impression on Merseyside.

Having seen his seven-year association with Chelsea come to an end, Cole is eager to carve out an equally successful career under Roy Hodgson at Anfield.

“I look at all the pictures around here and you want some more of that. The whole club is built on success,” said Cole.

“I can feel the hunger and desire at Liverpool and that is a great base. With the gaffer’s experience and organisation and the quality players we have got, I’m convinced we’ll do better than last year.

“As soon as I walked into this place, I loved it and I believe we can do something special here. I left a mark at Chelsea by being part of great teams that won things.

“I was player of the year and left my mark on the fans. I am very proud of that and I want to leave my mark on a massive club like Liverpool as well.

“I wanted to challenge myself and come to a club at the start of something.”

Blighted by injury in the final two years at Stamford Bridge, Cole’s fortunes stalled under Carlo Ancelotti last season and almost reached a standstill at the World Cup.

Having arrived in South Africa with such high hopes, he was restricted to just two cameos under Fabio Capello - against Slovenia and the ill-fated thumping by Germany - which amounted to just 44 minutes in total.

While the 90,000 pounds-a-week package that Liverpool put on the table outbid interest from Tottenham and Arsenal, the prospect of regular football, together with the allure of playing in his favoured position behind Fernando Torres, combined to make the switch to Anfield an attractive one.

“It is a fresh start,” added Cole. I just need match fitness and the important thing is the back-to-back games, playing regularly and knowing that, if you are doing all right, you are staying on the pitch.

“Roy made it very clear that he wanted me as a player and he had clear plans of what he wanted to do with me.

“People keep thanking me for coming. But I’m thankful to be here. I’d prefer to put the World Cup to bed. We’ll talk about England in the future.

“I had to choose the right club, which I have and now it’s down to me to get as fit as I can.

“To be able to do it week in, week out, I need patience from the fans, the manager and the club, but the one thing I will guarantee is that they have a player who will give 100 per cent every day - not just on match days.

“I will put my life and soul into helping Liverpool achieve something. My message to the fans is that I will give everything every day.

“I don’t want to come up here and end up going back south every time I have a day off. I want to immerse myself in the place.”