Former Chelsea, England midfielder Joe Cole announces retirement

Former Chelsea and England midfielder Joe Cole announced his retirement on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old won three Premier League titles at Chelsea and appeared at three World Cups during his 20-year career.

He had been playing for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the United States second tier since 2016.

"After 20 years as a professional the time has come for me to hang up my boots," Cole said on Instagram.

"It has been a dream come true. All of it."

Cole made over 700 appearances with 104 goals in a career that included stops at West Ham, Liverpool, Lille, Aston Villa and Coventry City.

In addition to his three league titles with Chelsea, he also won a pair of FA Cups and reached the Champions League final.

Cole scored 10 times in 56 games for England and played at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups.