by JAKE NUTTING

Wednesdays are typically off-days for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. That didn’t change this week as the players were still off from training, but the team did host a momentous event as they officially introduced midfielder Joe Cole to fans and local media next door to Al Lang Stadium at the Mahaffey Theater.

At the event, Cole mentioned the resonating factor that the Rowdies name still has in England thanks to English stars like Rodney Marsh (a player he says his grandparents were keen on) blazing a path with the team in the original NASL, and that he’s hoping to help the new era Rowdies grow into something larger.

“I thought this is the start of something that [Owner, Bill Edwards] want to build here, which is always nice,” Cole said. “I went to Chelsea at the start of the Roman Abramovich era, I was one of the first signings. I was a Chelsea supporter as a kid, so I watched it evolve from a team that was sometimes in the top-flight, sometimes in the lower leagues, into something bigger. Watching the club evolve as you’re playing is amazing. I’d like to have something along those lines with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and see if we can make it one of the biggest clubs in America.”

After months of working to get a deal for the World Cup veteran done, Bill Edwards was exuberant in his remarks at the press conference, calling the signing the “most significant” in the history of the modern NASL. With the likes of Raul and Marcos Senna donning the shirts of the rival New York Cosmos the past few years, those are some strong words to live up to.

Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell backed up Edwards, saying, “I didn’t make the comment lightly when I said I think he can still perform at the very highest level. I look around at the players that played in the English Premier League, and having watched Joe on numerous occasions this season, he can still do a job at a Premier League team.”

“I’ve done my due diligence in regards to when we were looking to bring that type and caliber of player in,” Campbell elaborated. “It’s not just a name, it’s everything that comes with it. Having spoke to and met with him a few times, one of the big things that struck a chord with me was how much he loves playing soccer. How determined he is to continue to go on and be successful at soccer. I spoke to some people who played with him, some of his ex coaches, and they said what a positive influence he is in the locker room.

With all his proper paperwork in order, the only thing that might prevent Cole from making his debut on Saturday against Rayo OKC is how quickly he can adjust after just arriving late on Tuesday. he’ll have his first official training session with the team on Thursday, but Campbell is optimistic about the prospect of Cole seeing the field sooner rather than later.

“The most important two ingredients are he’s desperate to play and I’m desperate for him to play, so yeah I’m sure he’ll be involved on Saturday,” said Campbell.

While he didn’t outright confirm where he’ll eventually lineup in the midfield, Cole did hint that he may be best suited playing in a deeper role, as opposed to and advanced one.

“I finished the season [at Coventry City] playing a deeper position, sort of controlling and using my passing more than my dribbling, which suited me,” Cole said. “The main thing is that we get results and doing whatever the manager wants me to do. But I feel like with my experience, playing from a deeper position, while still going forward and looking to be aggressive and attacking will be where we go. But we’ll see as the season unfolds. I need to get used to my new teammates, my teammates need to get used to me. I’m looking forward to it.”