A former England international “showed glimpses of pure genius” as he played 60 minutes in a local non-league friendly.
Joe Cole, who played for West Ham, Chelsea, and Liverpool, made an appearance for Radlett-based Belstone FC on Tuesday (July 18).
It was his second team appearance, but his home debut, after he played the first half of a cup match for the non-league side in April 2021.
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Wanting to get some minutes under his belt to shake off any rust, and thanks to his friendship with the side’s manager, he returned to the Medburn Ground.
With the experienced player in the lineup, Belstone enjoyed a comfortable 6-0 win over Berkhamsted Raiders in a third pre-season outing for the summer.
Glynne Cherrington, a founder member of Belstone FC and former vice-chairman, said: “You could see the ability and the talent is still there especially at our level.
“It was a wonderful experience for both sides and we were delighted to have him be part of our team.”
Clement Asante, Farwaz Balabola, Noah Costin, Makai Braiithwaite, Joel Bell, and John Gyabaah were all on the scoresheet for Belstone FC.
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