Harry Redknapp has described former West Ham midfielder Joe Cole as the "best young player" he has ever seen as he recalled the first time he saw him play.
Cole came through the ranks at West Ham and went on to play 150 times for the Hammers in all competitions, before he left in 2003 to join Chelsea, where he went on to win the Premier League three times, while also lifting the FA Cup twice and League Cup once as well.
But Redknapp has spoken about the first time he saw Cole in action at Chadwell Heath playing for West Ham as he made a big claim about the midfielder, who went on to become an England international, earning 56 caps for his country.
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Speaking on the Joe Cole Cast, Redknapp told his former player: "I remember the first time I saw you play Joe, I will never forget it.
"We turned up and we played Norwich at Chadwell Heath and you were playing, but it was probably a year or two older than you even. I stood there with Alan Sealey, who scored two goals in the Cup Winners' Cup final, Peter Brabrook, Frank [Lampard], we stood there, and after ten minutes I've gone 'who's this kid?'
"It was unbelievable and I'm not just saying this because you're here, but you were the best young player I had ever seen. You were the best schoolboy footballer I've ever seen. I've never seen a kid with your ability, who was as good as you."
Cole was one of several young players to come through around the same time at West Ham, with the likes of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick also progressing through the ranks in east London.
And Redknapp, who managed the club between 1994 and 2001, has spoken about why such players were so important to West Ham, with the former Hammers midfielder explaining his philosophy on giving young footballers the opportunity to break through and develop during his time in charge.
"I used to go to Chadwell Heath every Saturday morning and watch some of the games before I would head to Upton Park," he said. "The kids were the future of the club. We had you, we had Frank [Lampard], Rio [Ferdinand], Michael Carrick, Glen [Johnson], Jermain [Defoe], you all came through and I saw that as the future of the club, to produce our own players. That was the history of West Ham to produce players to play for the club and who cared about the club."
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