Young Joe Cole got his revenge on Roy Keane in response to the Manchester United legend's bullying tactics in perfect fashion
Having earned a reputation as one of the toughest men in the Premier League, it takes a brave person to take on Roy Keane.
His steely gaze made the Irishman an intimidating presence, capable of instilling fear in even the toughest opponents.
However, in 2002, a youngster from West Ham called Joe Cole He refused to be intimidated by Keane and his mastery of the dark arts of football.
Manchester United He traveled to Upton Park in March 2002 as they sought their fourth consecutive Premier League title, with Arsenal and Liverpool Also in the mix.
As for West Ham, who had players like Paolo Di Cano, David James and Frederic Kanoute along with a young Cole and Michael CarrickThey were sitting comfortably in the middle of the table.
It was the Hammers who took the lead through Steve Lomas in the eighth minute.
However, the Red Devils got off to a poor start when the Hammers took the lead in the eighth minute through Steve Lomas.
David Beckham Nine minutes later, the Red Devils levelled the scores before Frederic Kanouté scored again to put the Hammers ahead.
Unfortunately, that was the best the Upton Park faithful could do on the goalscoring front. nicky's butt, Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Beckham again helped United to a valuable 5-3 victory.
But Hammers fans will forever remember the moment Cole did what very few players have been able to do over the years: embarrass Keane.
The United midfielder gave Cole all the usual warning signs during the encounter, with the fresh-faced talent surely aware of what could happen if he continued to ruffle his feathers.
Keane even appeared to hit Cole in the neck, but despite the West Ham midfielder's protests, the Irishman was not punished.
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However, Cole would soon get his sweet, sweet revenge in a moment that has been immortalized.
A stylish backheel from Sebastian Schemmel put the ball right at Cole's feet.
Keane, sensing an opportunity to send Cole flying with a thunderous tackle, charged in like a thundering freight train.
But fleet-footed Cole knew exactly what to expect.
Cole produced a stunning piece of skill that left Keane humiliated, pirouetted the ball out wide and into the path of Kanoute.
The crowd roared in approval as an academy product made a fool of one of the Premier League's toughest clients, if only for a fleeting moment.
Cole lasted one more season at West Ham before being signed by Chelsea in August 2003, where he won three Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
He would eventually return to West Ham after spells at Liverpool and Lilac in January 2013, but left in 2014 to join Aston Villa.
Cole finished his career with transfers to Coventry City and the American team Tampa Bay Rowdies before retiring in November 2018.
