Promotion is my reward for taking a 50% pay cut, says Cole
LONDON: West Ham’s Wembley hero Carlton Cole revealed he took a 50% pay cut this season to fire Hammers back into the big time.
The hitman agreed to slash his wages from £28,000 to £14,000 a week after the Irons’ were relegated 12 months ago.
He also turned down the chance to stay in the top flight with Stoke to stick with the Hammers in the Second Division.
That loyalty is in stark contrast to that shown by one of his Upton Park predecessors Jermaine Defoe, who infamously slapped in a transfer request within hours of West Ham going down in 2003.
Cole, 28, scored the opener and had a hand in Ricardo Vaz Te’s winner in Saturday’s Second Division playoff final victory at Wembley.
And he said: “I’ve kept my mouth shut for quite a while but I did take a wage cut to stay in the second tier. Half of my wages just went.
“But I thought ‘You know what? I want to help this club get back where we belong.’
“I didn’t want to leave the ship, I am that sort of guy. I would not have been able to live with myself.
“It is just such a reward today to get to the Premier League again with West Ham at the first time of asking. This was D-day for all of us.
“I can’t explain how proud as a player, person and family man I am to be here.”
Many of you reading this will argue, understandably, that modern-day footballers can afford to take a hefty pay cut.
And let’s be honest, £14,000-aweek is hardly living on the breadline.
But how many players in this prima donna era would have stayed and taken the hit? Not many.
Cole added: “I have a lifestyle to maintain and I’d bought houses and everything. I took a big hit.
“But I knew West Ham under the right management, coach and staff would get up. And we have.
“Now I have learnt my lesson not to get relegated again – I can’t take another hit!” — The Sun, London