THE PLAYERS LOUNGE
JOE COLE ILIE DUMITRESCU RYAN NELSEN NIALL QUINN
You made your World Cup debut against Sweden in 2002, replacing Darius Vassell. Tell us about that moment…
It was really hectic. You come on and it’s so fleeting. It was brilliant to get on the pitch. At a World Cup, you can feel the importance of the game. I can still picture every touch and it was like, ‘Wow, I’m playing at a World Cup’. It was the culmination of a lifetime dream. It goes by quickly, as you’re in the moment, but that summer gave me wonderful memories.
