Joe Cole admits he would be more than happy to remain in France after making an impressive start to life with Lille.
Midfielder concentrating on settling into life in France
Joe Cole admits he would be more than happy to remain in France after making an impressive start to life with his new club Lille.
The midfielder opted to hop across the English Channel on a year-long loan deal from Liverpool after struggling to make an impact at Anfield.
And the move seems to have rejuvenated the 29-year-old, who has been back to his best.
Cole set up a goal on his Ligue 1 debut at St Etienne after coming off the bench before helping his new side to secure a point in the UEFA Champions League against CSKA Moscow in midweek.
Staying
He told
The People: "I'm open to staying here. At the moment, yes, it's a loan deal, but I'm more than happy to discuss that seven or eight months down the line.
"That's when I'll decide what the future is. For now, I'm concentrating on settling in.
"I haven't played much and I need time to get back to my best. It's going to take time to adjust.
"Obviously in England you see players coming over from France - great players, like Samir Nasri and Thierry Henry.
"But when they come from France it takes sometimes between six and 12 months to adjust. So we don't know how long it will take an English player because they tend to stay in England.
"But I will work hard. I'm here to work, not for a holiday.
"The object is to win trophies. It's important for Lille to carry on progressing, to become a regular winner of trophies, that's what it's all about. I think these players here are a great set of lads, have really good team spirit, and they've welcomed me."
