Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole intends to play for as long as he can.

He is determined to extend his colourful career and knows that when he eventually calls it a day, his plasterer mates will be proud of him for fulfilling his boyhood dream.

Cole said: "I want to play as long as I can. There is nothing better. It can be a rollercoaster with bad situations but I have always appreciated getting up in the morning and going into training.

"I have plenty of mates who are plasterers or work in offices and they would swap jobs with me. So I always get in my car in the morning and say I will enjoy today, whatever happens, even if it is just running.

"If my career ended tomorrow, I have had a great career, won so much, and left an identity at Chelsea and West Ham. Even in France last season - and with England - I have done decently well.

"At the moment I'm 31 with nothing to worry about apart from enjoying playing again. We will go from there. It has been a great experience at Liverpool.

"Brendan Rodgers has not picked me at times simply because I have been laid up with an injury.

"And then I have come back fit again but the young lads have done great so I have just had to bide my time. But I am in the mix now.

"I have come off the bench a couple of times and I played in Russia and again at Anfield on Thursday, so we will see how things pan out now."