- Joe Cole signed for Chelsea in 2003 from West Ham and went on to play 282 times
- Claudio Ranieri pulled off one of the greatest feats in football with Leicester City
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Joe Cole has revealed the four-word greeting he was given by former boss Claudio Ranieri when he was first signed by Chelsea back in 2003.
Chelsea legend Cole spent seven years at Stamford Bridge after being brought to the west London club by then-boss Ranieri, and would go on to make 282 appearances for the Blues in all competitions.
While most of his success at the club would come after the Italian’s departure – winning three Premier Leagues and three FA Cups – he spoke glowingly of the former Blues and Leicester boss on TNT Sports.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Conference League clash with Heidenheim on Thursday evening, Cole revealed how keen Ranieri was to sign him – as well as the four-word mantra he seemed to repeat on first meeting the England international.
”I remember going to meet him in a service station and all I wanted to know was: “Where do you want to play me?”‘ Cole told TNT.
‘He talked for ages and said nothing, all he kept saying was: “You are my key!”
Joe Cole opened up on the four-word greeting he received from Claudio Ranieri when signing for Chelsea
Cole arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2003 and would go on to make 282 appearances in all competitions
‘I was like where am I going to play? And he just said don’t worry don’t worry. Then the first game he just put me on the bench and I just said: “Is this where the key players sit!”
‘He was one of those managers that you just loved playing for. You don’t have to love your managers, some managers I’ve not had the relationship with.
‘I remember we beat Arsenal in the Champions League, it was a big game for Claudio and he was welling up and the lads were so happy for him and then he went on to achieve what he achieved at Leicester!
‘The whole football world fell in love with him and I’ll always thank him for taking me to Chelsea, a good good man.’
Ranieri’s title-winning season at Leicester was one of the greatest moments in all sporting history, taking the massive underdogs – who barely avoided relegation the previous season – to Premier League glory.
It was a season that really announced the arrivals of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante as world class players as the Foxes pulled off the impossible back in 2015-16.
But according to Cole, the manager of whom few pictures exist where he is not smiling,
‘He has moments,’ he added. ‘When he needs to be ruthless he can. I think he was the first one that rotated the squad and you had no idea of knowing if you were playing.
Ranieri was known as the Tinkerman during his time at Chelsea for his fondness for squad rotation
‘Remember he was called the Tinkerman for a long time because it was unusual then, now everyone rotates.
‘He probably brought that to the English game, squad rotation and keeping players fresh.’
After leaving Ranieri the season after his stunning achievement, Ranieri has enjoyed a number of short-term stints at various clubs across England, France and Italy.
From Leicester he went to Nantes, followed by stints at Fulham, Roma, Sampdoria, Watford Cagliari and a return to Roma earlier this campaign, the Italian side’s third manager of the season already.
