Cole just needs to 'feel loved'

The England midfielder admits that it was that desire to feel appreciated which led to his exit from Chelsea this summer. He grew tired of being hauled off at every opportunity by a succession of coaches, with a lack of playing time giving him little chance to impress. Once it became apparent that he was not going to get the playing time he craved, he decided to let his contract run down and leave on a free transfer. Having made that call, he has since linked up with Liverpool and is excited by the challenges which lie ahead at Anfield. Cole believes Reds boss Roy Hodgson will be the man to get him firing on all cylinders once more and is confident he will be a hit on Merseyside. "The fans at Chelsea loved me and I can't thank them enough for that but I need to feel loved when I am on the pitch," he said in the News of the World. "The manager has to want me there. I don't so much need an arm around the shoulder as for managers to remember that in the positions I play you are going to lose the ball sometimes. "You only need to do one thing right; one clever pass, one little bit of skill that can change a game but to do that you need to feel relaxed and calm." Meanwhile, Cole is also delighted to have played a part in helping to persuade talismanic skipper Steven Gerrard to stay on at Anfield. He had been linked with a summer switch to Real Madrid, but Liverpool's transfer activity has convinced him that they have ambitious plans for the future. "I hope that I did play a part in making Stevie stay," added Cole. "Stevie knows what I can do. We have played together for England for 10 years right the way through. "I am looking forward to playing alongside him and our relationship is going to be important. "I will play anywhere, though I hope it is central with him - with one of us going forward and the other pivoting. "I can't talk about tactics but the manager knows what I can do on the left and the right. But it will be nice to be close to him. "At Liverpool this year is about consolidating and moving on. There are players here who will get into any team in the world. "I had conversations with Stevie and 'Carra' and everything they said about Liverpool impressed me. We are a part of a club that can do something special. If you win a trophy here, one of the big ones, it will be immense."