West Ham United have allowed former striker Carlton Cole to train with the club.
Having left Sacramento Republic after just four games, Carlton Cole has returned to England and has been given permission to train with his former club West Ham United until January.
The 33-year-old striker has had two spells at West Ham, joining the club in 2006 before leaving briefly in 2013. Cole’s contract came to and end following the 2012/13 season, but he was brought back to Upton Park the following September when the Hammers were in need of a striker.
West Ham’s Carlton Cole
Cole then left the club again in 2015, heading north of the border to Celtic on a two-year-deal, but he was released after just eight months.
Now without a club, the West Ham cult figure is back where he has spent most of his career, and some fans are actually calling for him to be given a contract to help with their current striking woes.
Matthew Etherington (R) celebrates scoring the second goal for West Ham with Carlton Cole (C), John Paintstil (L) and Danny Gabbidon
Slaven Bilic currently has a misfiring Simone Zaza as his main striker, so the thought of having Cole back playing in claret in blue is an appealing thought for some West Ham supporters.
While not everyone is desperate to see Cole run out at the new London Stadium, some are praying that his return to training could lead to the third coming of the striker.
England’s Carlton Cole
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