Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has explained his reasons for joining Lille in 2011.

Cole made the move after a difficult spell with Liverpool.

He told L'Equipe: "I was coming out of a season with Liverpool in which I hadn't had much opportunity to play. Yes, Premier League clubs wanted me on loan, but to be honest, they didn't excite me much. I wanted a new experience.

"My agent received three offers from France: Marseille, Bordeaux and Lille. I watched matches of these teams and I was impressed by the quality of the Lille game. Then I took the train and talked for an hour with Rudi Garcia. Coming out of his office, I knew that I was going to play for Lille."