WEST HAM: McCarthy partnership excites hotshot Cole

8:10am Thursday 4th February 2010

By Ross Davies

CARLTON COLE admits he ‘cannot wait’ to start building his partnership with Benni McCarthy after the South African became the first of three signings for West Ham on transfer deadline day.

When David Sullivan and David Gold walked in to Upton Park after their takeover of the club was announced last week, one of the pair’s first goals was to bolster an attacking department that was being propped up by willing youngsters.

And they have delivered with interest, with former Tottenham Hotspur forward Mido joining from Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season. Joining him was Brazilian hitman Ilan, who arrived on a free transfer on a six-month contract, after being released by French club Saint-Etienne last month.

They also have a proven goalscorer among their ranks in McCarthy, who signed from Blackburn Rovers on a two-and-a-half year deal for a fee thought to be around £2.5million.

The 32-year-old’s arrival has coincided with the return to fitness of leading scorer Cole, who made his second cameo appearance in a week in the goalless draw against Rovers at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.

The Hammers frontman, an outside bet to travel to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, revealed he is looking forward to working with McCarthy, who arrives with an impressive goalscoring pedigree, having netted over 50 times for Blackburn since arriving from Porto in 2006.

“I’m very happy he’s joined us,” said Cole. “It can only be a good thing for the club. He’s a quality player, very experienced as well. For me I can learn off him and pick his brains on how he does things. I can’t wait to start training with him properly.”

McCarthy had trained with the team as early as last Friday, but the move was not confirmed until Monday, once the fine print had been ironed out.

Another new team-mate has already been impressed by what he has seen at the club’s Chadwell Heath training ground.

Jack Collison admitted he was also excited by the quality that McCarthy can bring to the table, ahead of a fierce relegation battle and a vital clash against another one of the drop-zone candidates, Burnley, at Turf Moor this week.

“He looks a good signing and I think he’s going to be a real positive for us,” said the midfielder.

“You know what you’re going to get with him. He’s a larger than life character. But he’s also a very talented footballer and that’s what we need. Hopefully he’s going to score some goals for us and if he plays like he trained the other day I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

The end of the transfer window brought more positive news, as manager Gianfranco Zola got his wish by keeping his whole squad in tact; a fact that seemed less certain just two weeks ago, when talk of a buyer for the club was nothing more than rumour.

Midfielder Scott Parker, who also continued his rehabilitation from injury with a brief outing at the weekend, reiterated what it meant to the players when the speculation stopped and the new owners were announced.

“It can only be good for the team,” he said of the takeover. “The negativity surrounding the club the last few months has never helped. As a player you are always the last to know, but you read what you read and obviously it does put a little bit of doubt in your head.

“Thankfully it’s all been dealt with now and we have two owners come in who are not only massive fans but they want to take the club forward and that’s pleasing.”

Cole added: “It’s been more of knowing we don’t have to sell any players, so it’s more of a stability thing. We’ve still got the same job to do.”

His partnership with Cole could yet hold the key to West Ham’s survival chances this season.