Alex Ferguson asked me to walk out with Manchester United at the FA Cup final - I was a kid and was like, It would be pretty cool though, dad?' but my dad said no!' Joe Cole on how he could have ended up alongside Red Devils legends

"I'd go for trials at Arsenal, Millwall, Spurs, Chelsea and West Ham, Cole tells FourFourTwo. On a Tuesday night I'd be going to train at West Ham, on the Wednesday, I'd be at Tottenham or Arsenal. Really quickly, I went from playing no organised football at all to playing with all the best kids in London at these academies. I found that I could handle myself, and I was very aware that I was a different type of player to a lot of the others."

"Sometimes I'd get tickets to watch Tottenham or Arsenal, and I was still only 12 when Alex Ferguson phoned me, after I'd been up to Manchester United for a trial, Cole adds. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. That's why Ferguson was the greatest he was trying to compete for Premier League titles with his team, but he always had one eye on the next generation."

Joe Cole displayed X-factor from a young age and made his Premier League debut at 17 after progressing through West Ham's setup. His youth period involved trials and training sessions at Arsenal, Millwall, Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham, often switching clubs midweek and competing with the best academy players in London. Scouts took notice as he distinguished himself as a different type of player. Sir Alex Ferguson phoned when Cole was 12 after a Manchester United trial and offered him the chance to walk the United team out at the 1994 FA Cup final, but Cole had already chosen West Ham.

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