New Delhi [India], Nov 13 (ANI): Former Chelsea player Joe Cole has announced his retirement from the professional football.

The 37-year-old, who was associated with Tampa Bay Rowdies team of the North American Soccer League from the year 2016 to 2018, declared the same on his official Instagram account.

"After 20 years as a professional, the time has come for me to hang up my boots. 716 professional games, 104 goals, for seven great clubs - West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool, Lille, Aston Villa, Coventry City and the Tampa Bay Rowdies - as well the honour of playing for England. It has been a dream come true. All of it," he wrote.

"There are key moments in every professional's career. One of mine came when I was a young West Ham player. A senior pro, who was nearing his own retirement, said to me: 'Enjoy every game, young man. It goes by in the blink of an eye and you'll miss it badly after it's gone." He was right. Those words resonate even more now than they did back then. I tried to play and live by his advice every single day because being a professional footballer is an absolute honour," he added.

Reflecting on his future plans, Cole said that he wants to stay involved with the game adding that he could contribute a lot to the game as a coach.

"Looking to the future, I want to stay involved in the game. I feel I can offer a lot as a coach and have really enjoyed the opportunity to undertake some of these duties with the Rowdies. To lend my experience to help other young footballers achieve their dreams, just like I did, is a big passion of mine," he stated.

Cole has had career-defining moments with Chelsea having won the Premier League title three times, the FA Cup twice along with a League Cup with the team. (ANI)

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