18 February 2023 , 13:15
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Joe Cole left Peter Crouch in hysterics by telling a bizarre cheese sandwich story involving Harry Redknapp.
Chelsea icon Cole recalled the hilarious tale during BT Sport's 'Early Kick-Off' show on Saturday morning to Crouch and Adebayo Akinfenwa. The incident happened right at the start of Cole's professional career, when he was playing under legendary manager Redknapp at boyhood club West Ham.
The Hammers were playing a Premier League game at The Dell, the former Southampton ground that closed in May 2001. Redknapp was arguing with midfielder John Moncur in the changing rooms after the game, but it was Frank Lampard Senior - the assistant manager and father of ex-Chelsea and Everton manager Frank Lampard- who was left red faced.
Cole was asked whether he has ever struggled to contain laughter during a team talk. The BT Sport pundit replied: "I remember once when I was very, very young at The Dell - that's how old it was. [I was at] West Ham [with] Harry Redknapp, Frank Lampard Senior.
Cole continued: "John Moncur - [who is] lovely great player, great bloke - he didn't play in the game and there was an argument after the game between Harry and John. You used to get a tray of sandwiches brought in and the tray was just edging off the table a little bit and Johnny's kicked the tray - caught it lovely - [and] the sandwiches have gone everywhere.
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"It's one of those heated moments, a proper row between two men screaming at each other. [Moncur has] kicked the sandwiches and one of the sandwiches just landed on Frank Lampard Senior's shoulder and he didn't know it was there! It just made me giggle.
Frank Lampard Senior (right) was Harry Redknapp's assistant at West Ham (Getty Images)"I'm 17, 16 - it's the sort of thing a 16-year-old laughs at. This argument is still going on and this cheese sandwich is sitting there. I'm just like that [containing laughter]."
Crouch and Akinfenwa were both left in stitches before the former, who is known as one of football's funniest characters, asked: "He didn't have a chip on his shoulder, did he?"
Akinfenwa joked Crouch's comment was "such a dad joke" before Cole said: "That's why you're Saturday night! That's why you've transcended into that side of the media!"
Joe Cole left Peter Crouch and Adebayo Akinfenwa in stitches with his tale (BT Sport)What's your funniest football story? Let us know in the comments below!
Lampard Senior enjoyed his own successful career in football. He spent 18 years in West Ham's first team, where he made more than 550 league appearances and won two FA Cups. He also won two senior caps for England.
Lampard Senior was Redknapp's assistant at West Ham between 1994 and 2001. The two are brothers-in-law, as Lampard Senior's late wife Pat - who passed away in 2008 - is the twin sister of Redknapp's other half Sandra.
Redknapp and Lampard Senior gave Lampard Junior his senior debut at West Ham in January 1996 and were accused of nepotism due to their family links. Lampard Junior later dismantled that theory by winning 11 major honours and 106 senior England caps.