West Ham striker Carlton Cole is hopeful that he can convince Sam Allardyce to keep him at the club after netting his first goal since his shock return to Upton Park on Saturday.
The former England international was released earlier this year by the Hammers, and was linked with moves to Championship sides and the French top tier.
However with Andy Carroll’s injury woes and a lack of alternatives, Allardyce swooped to bring Cole back to East London in October on a short-term deal.
The 30-year-old could be on his way back out of the club in January, but he is hopeful that he can provide the level of performance on a regular basis needed to convince ‘Big Sam’ that he is worth keeping:
“Once you score you feel you can get in a rhythm and score more so hopefully there will be more to come for me now,” he is quoted by The Express.
“I want to stay, of course, and I’m very confident,
“I know the ins and outs of the club. Sometimes change is good but I’m here and have been here for so long – I’d like to stay on.
“It’s up to the manager. I can only play my best and try to play to my capacity on the field. Whatever they will do in the future is beyond my control.
“We’ll see how it goes. I’m fit now, I’ve always been working for my fitness and the manager has been waiting for the right time for me to start.
“Hopefully I’ve done myself a favour and will get a start soon. I’ll wait for the manager to make the decision.”
Carroll is set to return from injury soon, which may limit Cole’s first-team chances.
The burly Geordie made his loan switch to West Ham a permanent one over the summer following the former Chelsea youth player’s exit.
Will West Ham keep Carlton Cole? Can he still contribute regularly?
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