West Ham United academy chief Tony Carr is adamant Joe Cole can feel he fulfilled his talent.

Cole announced his retirement yesterday.

Carr told the Mirror: “He has certainly fulfilled his potential there is no two ways about that.

“Look at his CV. Underachievement? Christ, there are a lot of players that would have liked to have achieved half of that."

Then-Hammers scout Dennis Coxall spotted Cole playing in Islington and excitedly reported back to Carr: “I've just watched the best player at under-12, under-13 I've ever seen."

West Ham's head of scouting Jimmy Hampson quickly arranged for Cole to come in and Carr recalled: “The first time we set eyes on him it was just about how do we make him stay.

“It was his dribbling ability. Every time he got the ball, he drove at players and beat them, as a young schoolboy, with relative ease and was very exciting to watch. He did audacious things. Things that made you smile. He was cheeky so to speak."