Joe Cole says ‘brilliant’ former teammate was miles better at Chelsea than people actually say

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Joe Cole suggests one of his former Chelsea teammates doesn’t get the respect he fully deserves for his time at Stamford Bridge.

Joe Cole, who played for the Blues between 2003-2010, was part of a golden era in Chelsea’s history.

The retired winger won nine major trophies as a Chelsea player, including three Premier Leagues.

There’s been some trophyless seasons in the last couple of years at Stamford Bridge, but it feels like the Blues are definitely making progress in the right direction now under Enzo Maresca’s management. In fact, Simon Jordan thinks Chelsea are in the title race this season.

• READ MORE: Joe Cole names who he thought was better manager: Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti

Joe Cole thinks Michael Ballack’s Chelsea spell is underrated

Cole has made the interesting claim that former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack is harshly criticised for his time in west London.

“I remember with Ballack, he was another big game player. A lot of people think his time at Chelsea wasn’t quite as good as his time at Leverkusen. But I thought he was brilliant. What a player,” Cole told Football’s Greatest YouTube channel.

Ballack, who retired in 2012, was a world-class central midfielder in his prime.

The German star had a superb club career with the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, plus there was a four-year spell at Chelsea between 2006 and 2010.

Ballack admitted he loved playing alongside Claude Makelele at Chelsea. Also, he played alongside midfield icons such as Frank Lampard and Michael Essien, too.

Michael Ballack success at Chelsea

Ballack should certainly look back on his time at Chelsea with great pride, winning six pieces of silverware in English football. The highlight moment was possibly the Premier League title during the 2009/10 season under Carlo Ancelotti.

During his spell with Chelsea, Ballack wasn’t quite the same box-to-box midfielder that lit up the Bundesliga with Leverkusen and Munich, but he was still an instrumental piece of the puzzle.

The Blues dressing room used to be full of leaders and international captains, including Ballack.

There’s no doubt that the German icon would walk into the current Chelsea side with his eyes closed.