Former England international soccer player Joe Cole, who scored one of the goals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, has joined Aston Villa on a free transfer after being released by West Ham United.

Cole officially was unveiled as an Aston Villa footballer today, becoming Villa’s second signing of the summer after penning a two year deal.

In an interview with Aston Villa, the former Chelsea and Liverpool footballer said:

“I’m really excited. It all happened really quickly, I got a call maybe a week or 10 days ago and it just felt like it was a really exciting place to come at this moment.

“This is a massive club and there’s a massive opportunity for the club to push on. That was the main factor. I spoke to the gaffer and we have similar views on football. He didn’t need to sell the club but he explained what the view is for the future and, like I said, that was the main thing. When I spoke to the manager I knew I’d be signing.

“I’ll be coming here and I’ll be learning too. Obviously I’ll bring my experience to the squad but you still learn every day and I want to learn. I know I’ll learn from the manager, I’ll learn from other players here and going forward together we want to get the best results for Aston Villa.”

Cole has won 56 England caps and has played at three World Cups. He has scored 10 times for England, including a memorable volley against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

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