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Joe Cole remaining tight-lipped on his future plans

Joe Cole is hoping to snatch a place in the England starting XI © Getty Images

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Joe Cole hopes his experience can win him a place in the England team for the World Cup opener and insists his club future is "a story to be told another day''.

The midfielder was speaking at a press conference in Rustenburg on the day it was confirmed he will leave Chelsea following the end of his contract this month.

Cole's future has been the subject of ongoing speculation throughout the season and it became increasingly evident the two parties would not be able to reach a deal.

He said: "I'm just focused on the World Cup at the moment, I'll leave that sort of thing to my agent. My future will sort itself out. It's been going on a while. It's a story to be told another day.''

Cole was one of the players whose place in Fabio Capello's final squad looked in doubt but he is now being talked about as a possible starter against the United States on Saturday.

The 28-year-old is one of three players, along with Ashley Cole and David James, preparing for their third World Cup, and it is that experience that Cole believes could work in his favour.

"Managers like experience, especially at the start of tournaments,'' he continued. "It's a great feeling. I remember going to Japan as a youngster and it was all new but I've still got that energy and I still love it and I love coming away to these tournaments.

"It would mean the world to me to play against America and play in a third World Cup.''

Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti will also be released by Chelsea at the beginning of July and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer has spoken out about Ballack's imminent Stamford Bridge exit.

Beckenbauer feels Ballack had fallen victim to Chelsea's failure to win the Champions League last season and that he had drawn the short straw purely because of his age.

"It's a shame for him because he's not the youngest anymore,'' Beckenbauer said. "Maybe another year or two would have done him good at Chelsea, but I can understand their disappointment.

"(Roman) Abramovich has invested millions over the years and, while of course winning the league and the cup is a success, he has the aim of winning the Champions League and he has not done that so he is revolutionising his team.

"They have aged a bit and I can understand that they want a younger team. It's just a shame that that effects Ballack.''

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