Former England striker Carlton Cole has claimed that Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe and Shaun Wright-Phillips once tricked him into taking viagra while on international duty. Cole, who earned seven caps between 2009 and 2011, made the revelation on the Footballer's Guide to Football podcast, where Defoe was also a guest.
Cole described the incident, saying: 'The stonker was there. I wasn't sexually aroused but it was just there. I was the quickest person around that pitch - I had three legs.' He added that he had 'erased that from my memory' until Defoe brought it up.
Defoe explained that the prank was aimed at Cole because of his cheerful nature. 'Carlton was always smiley, happy and that, so we just thought, if you are going to get anyone, who would take it? He just took it because he was thinking, 'Oh yeah, vitamins, good for my body',' Defoe said. 'I was in stitches. It was the funniest thing. When we told him after... his face! And there's nothing he could do.'
Cole, now 40, retired from football in 2018 after playing for Chelsea, West Ham and Celtic. He now works as a pundit and coaches West Ham's under-16s. Reflecting on his coaching role, he told the Independent: 'I'm really happy West Ham have trusted me with these boys and it's come to a point where I understand how far I can go.'
