Injuries have already cost this likeable Londoner an FA Cup winner's medal and possibly even his place in England's World Cup squad for next summer's jamboree in South Africa, yet Cole may well be able to place such mammoth setbacks as minor road humps in his career after the misery he has lived through.Cole readily admits he didn't even feel like a footballer for long spells of his time on the sidelines nursing a knee ligament injury that required lengthy rehabilitation, but this gifted No.10 has impressed and made a steady return to the first team fold in the last few weeks.
After so long away, Cole's return to frontline action was always likely to be a gradual process and so it has proved as boss Carlo Ancelotti has eased him back into the first team with the care that might be expect for a precious commodity that has been prone to break in recent times. Yet as he buzzed around the Stamford Bridge pitch in what turned out to be a horrible mismatch between Chelsea and Wolves, Cole must have felt that his every stride brought him an inch closer to the dream he was in danger of losing not so long ago.
Looking comfortable at the head of Ancelotti's midfield diamond, his return to form and fitness is a massive boost to a Chelsea side riding high at the top of the Premier League and yet neither Chelsea nor their midfield comeback kid needed to be at their best to overcome a woeful Wolves side who surrendered with all too much ease at a rain-soaked Stamford Bridge.
Despite the lack of genuine opposition, Cole's determination to make an impact in this game was evident from the off, with his constant pleading for the ball a sign of a player keen to make up for lost time. The twinkled-toed qualities that made him a star in his youth at West Ham were back in abundance and the beleaguered Wolves defence confirmed their were all too willing to lay down and die.
Then, with 56 minutes of the game gone and the game already won for Chelsea, the moment he has worked so hard for arrived. First-half goals from Florent Malouda and a brace from Michael Essien exposed Wolves' alarming defensive deficiencies, but Cole was one of the few on the pitch who refused to take their foot off the gas as the second half wound its way towards an all-too predictable conclusion.
He was given too much space on the edge of the box as the Wolves defence clung on to preserve their dignity and flapping keeper Wayne Hennessey was unable to keep out a shot that he really should have done better with. The lavish celebrations that followed were not typical for the fourth goal of a one-sided game, but Chelsea knew what this moment meant to a player who has suffered so much.
I was pleased for Joe Cole to score and he is getting better with each game he plays," said Chelsea boss Ancelotti as he met the media. "Every day in training and with each match he has played since his first match back for the team, we have seen signs of improvement and he moved forward again in this game.
"What pleased me today was we had a team that had to deal with a lot of injuries and yet the performance of the team was not affected. This says to me that we may not need to sign any more players in January after all."
Mick McCarthy's side may have been up against the Premier League favourites at sodden Stamford Bridge, but the least the former Ireland boss could have expected was a bit of dogged resistance from players who should have been keen to prove they could play on the big stage.
What he got was a shambles of a defensive effort that saw Chelsea take the lead through Malouda after the Wolves defenders backed off and invited him to shoot at goal. He accepted their invitation by thumping a blistering shot into the top corner and without the need to move into second gear, Chelsea doubled their advantage six minutes later and a curling corner from Maluoda picked out an unmarked Essien, who rose highest in the box to convert with ease.
It was all too easy and the Wolves boss confirmed his side had contributed to their own downfall at Stamford Bridge. "We were happy to get nil today, even though we created some really good chances in the game," said an honest McCarthy.
"The first goal was a wonderful strike, but we didn't deal well with the second goal and at 2-0 down so early, it was going to be a long day. We looked great going out in our nice white shirts, but then the referee blew the whistle to start the game and it went down hill.
"The positives? Our fans were brilliant, but there were not that many good performances out there for us. The spirit and work rate was fine, but we weren't expected to get anything out of this game and we cannot let this result does not affect our hopes of staying in this league. We all know we are in a relegation fight from here on in and there is no point in trying to hide from that reality."
The second half was notable for the appearance of Gael Kakuta, the player whose contentious transfer saw Chelsea handed a transfer ban by the game's authorities a couple of months ago. Kakuta is eligible to play once again as the appeal against the case is under consideration, and he showed flashes of magic on the ball that suggests he may be worth all the hassle he has caused.
However, this game merely ended up tarnishing the notion that the Premier League is the most competitive in world football. On this evidence, the gap between top and bottom has never been bigger and that must be a concern for McCarthy and Wolves.
Not that Joe Cole was worried as he added another building block to a comeback that is gathering momentum towards South Africa at a rapid pace.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Joe Cole. The little Chelsea No.10 has suffered an injury nightmare in the last year so it's little wonder he looks like a player reborn now that he is back to his best. His second-half goal in this game was a fine reward.
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