“Cole will revitalise Liverpool”

Former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson says the signing of Joe Cole will lift the club’s spirit, labeling the signing as “the start of a new era at Anfield”.

Cole will undergo a medical and sign a four-year deal with the club in the next 48 hours after rejecting offers to join Arsenal and Tottenham.

Thompson told Sky Sports News, “I’m absolutely delighted. We need that player, the catalyst between midfield and attack. It all adds up for me.

“Joe Cole has that bit of character, he can do something out of nothing, he that creative ability that Torres comes alive to, Gerrard too.

“It’s the kind of news all fans wanted. We’ve got thousands of people waiting for season tickets but everyone is going to be renewing them now. Everyone will have Joe Cole’s name on their shirt.

“It’s the start of a new era, we’ll be looking for more new players and it could be a glorious summer for the fans. They will be delighted.

“I think the manager has had a chat with Torres, met with Steven Gerrard and he’ll have been saying to them ‘we’ve got a chance of getting Joe Cole’. Buying Joe will tell them all is not lost.”