Playmaker says there is no reason why he cannot be in Brazil next summer.
Check in to Transfer Window: Done Deal Alerts
West Ham United midfield player Joe Cole is eyeing up a possible fourth appearance with England at the World Cup finals in Brazil next year, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
The hugely talented playmaker began the new Premier League season by scoring the Hammers’ opening goal in their 2-0 win over newly promoted Cardiff City at Upton Park last Saturday afternoon.
And the 31-year-old, who has also played for the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Ligue 1 outfit Lille in his so far 15-year career in the English top flight, says that he is currently feeling as good as ever following an excellent preseason this summer.
“I think any Englishman will want to play for his country, especially when you look at how few English players are in the Premier League at the moment,” said Cole.
“I have been to three World Cups, so I would love to do it again, but it is just a case of how well I play at West Ham – that’s the main thing.
“I had a good pre-season, played a lot of minutes and a lot of games and it was nice to get out there at Upton Park again.
“The 18 months at Liverpool where I didn’t play is obviously a bad time in my career, but when I did play there I felt I did all right.
“Then I had a good season in France [on loan], so there is nothing wrong with me. I am still only 31, so if people look at it like that, I can still do a job for England, but we will just have to see what happens.”
Cole has already appeared in three World Cups for the Three Lions, going to South Korea and Japan under Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2002, before then shining for his country under the Swede again four years later in Germany, while he then disappointed in South Africa three years ago with Fabio Capello at the helm.
However, despite all the various ups and downs in Cole’s career to date, the eye-catching playmaker has still been capped on 56 occasions by England since making his debut for his country in a friendly international against Mexico at Pride Park in May 2001.