England midfielder Joe Cole does have a future at Liverpool despite a disappointing first season, according to manager Kenny Dalglish.
Cole made his first appearance under Dalglish in last night’s Europa League draw against Sparta Prague following a niggling knee injury.
The former Chelsea man has endured a tough time at Anfield, getting sent off on his debut against Arsenal in the club’s first game of the season.
He has since suffered various injuries which have prevented him from producing the performances he is capable of.
But Dalglish has confirmed that Cole does remain part of his plans following last night’s match.
The Scot said: “That is a great start for him, to get himself on the pitch and get an hour won’t do him any harm.
“Joe is a valuable asset for us. Obviously he is not going to pick his form up immediately, if he does it will be a real bonus for us.
“But we are not going to put him under pressure and expect him to be the Joe Cole who came to Liverpool in the summer.
“We want to give him a bit of time and make sure he gets there. Form is temporary, class is permanent and that is where we stand with Joe.
“We’ll give him a bit of time to get up to speed and then we’ll judge him. Joe needs his injury rebuilding so we’ll get that right first.”
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