Joe Cole | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Early Life

Joe Cole was born Joseph Rooks on November 8, 1981, in Paddington, London. When he was six years old, his family moved to Somers Town. Cole attended St. Mary's Bryanston Square primary school, Haverstock School in London, and St. Aloysius College in Highgate.

Career

Cole began his football career in the West Ham United youth system, and he went pro with the club in November 1998. His first-team debut took place in the FA Cup in January 1999 when he was 17 years old. Joe made his Premier League debut eight days later. In 1999, West Ham won the FA Youth Cup and the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In 2003, Cole won the Hammer of the Year Award, and in August, he signed with Chelsea for £6.6 million. Chelsea won the Premier League title for the 2004–05 season, and Joe scored 10 goals that season. He made it into the first-team lineup during the 2005–06 season, then he signed a four-year contract extension and was chosen for the PFA Team of the Year. In late 2006, Cole suffered a stress fracture on his foot that required surgery, so he had to sit out part of the 2006–07 season. In 2008, he played in the UEFA Champions League Final and was named Chelsea Player of the Year. He had knee surgery during the 2008–09 season and ended up having to miss the 2009–10 pre-season. Joe returned to the starting line-up in a September 2009 League Cup match. He played in his 250th game for Chelsea on November 8, 2009, his 28th birthday. Chelsea won the FA Cup Final in 2010, and Cole became a free agent after his contract expired in June 2010.

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

In July 2010, Joe signed a four-year deal with Liverpool. In August 2011, he went to the French club Lille on a season-long loan, and though manager Rudi Garcia expressed interest in keeping Cole after the season was over, Joe returned to Liverpool. He left Liverpool in January 2013 before his contract was up and returned to his original club, West Ham, on an 18-month deal. Cole injured his hamstring in September 2013 and couldn't play for six weeks. He signed a two-year deal with Aston Villa in June 2014, followed by a 35-day emergency loan deal with Coventry City in October 2015. The loan was extended until early 2016, then Joe signed a deal that lasted until the end of the season. In May 2016, he joined the North American Soccer League team the Tampa Bay Rowdies, signing a contract that lasted until the end of the 2017 NASL season. Later that month, he was named the league's Player of the Week after a win over Minnesota United. In October, Cole earned a nomination for the NASL Golden Ball award. In June 2018, he became the team's assistant coach, and in November, he retired from football. He later started coaching for Chelsea. Joe also played for the England national football team, beginning at the U16 level in 1997. He played in the World Cup in 2002, 2006, and 2010.

Getty

Personal Life

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

Joe began a relationship with Carly Zucker, a fitness instructor, in 2002, and they became engaged in 2007. The couple married on June 20, 2009, and they have welcomed daughter Ruby (born 2010) and son Harrison (born 2012) together. In 2009, Cole was given a suspended driving ban and ordered to pay a £750 fine after he was caught driving 105 mph on a 70 mph section of a divided highway in Surrey.

Honors

Cole was named West Ham United Hammer of the Year for the 2002–03 season, Premier League Player of the Month in March 2005, PFA Team of the Year for the 2005–06 Premier League season, and Chelsea Player of the Year in 2008. He was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 2006. In 2016, Joe was selected for the North American Soccer League Best XI.

Real Estate

Wealth Trajectory & Future Earnings Projections

In 2021, Cole put his Merseyside mansion on the market for £2.25million. The home includes five bedrooms, five bathrooms, an open-plan kitchen, and a heated pool.

Cole

Lampard