Current club: Liverpool
Paddington-born Joe was a precocious talent with West Ham United as a youngster. He caught the eye with midfield displays full of skill and vision when he was only 17.
In the 1998-99 season he featured in eight Premier League games for the Hammers and helped the club to put The FA Youth Cup in the trophy cabinet. He quickly became a regular performer for the first team and had made 126 Premier League appearances by the time of his transfer to Chelsea in 2003, the year in which he had been voted ‘Hammer of the Year’.
He has won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups with the Blues.
Joe was a pupil at The FA National School at Lilleshall and represented England at Schoolboy, Youth and Under-21 levels before making his senior debut as a substitute in a friendly against Mexico at Pride Park on 25 May 2001.
He made one substitute appearance during the following year’s World Cup and had established himself in Eriksson’s team by 2005-06, featuring in all 14 internationals and scoring three goals that included a 25-yard screamer against Sweden in the 2006 World Cup.
He won his 50th cap in a Wembley friendly against USA in May 2008.
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