Liverpool FC: Joe Cole Says He Wants to Stay at Lille Permanently

After a tumultuous last few seasons in England, Liverpool's Joe Cole is finding that he enjoys life in France. What's more, the creative (if ever inconsistent) midfielder has now said he wants to make his loan spell at Lille a permanent move.

"I would like to stay here, but it's still too early to say what will happen," Cole told L'Equipe (h/t Goal.com). "It's not all up to me where I will end up. The board makes the final decision. I have not spoken to anyone from Liverpool yet. The financial issue obviously plays a role, but it's not all that matters for me."

In 2010, after Cole's seven-year stay at Chelsea, former Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson lured him to Anfield on a large contract.

However, after Hodgson's departure, Cole found that life under new manager and club legend Kenny Dalglish involved much more sitting and much less playing.

After one season of minimal playing time and below-par performances, Cole was loaned to Ligue 1 side Lille.

At Lille, he has generally performed well. Cole has scored four goals in 27 league appearances and appeared in all six of Lille's Champions League group matches.

Whether his French renaissance can get him back into the England team remains to be seen. Cole has earned 56 caps for his country, but none since England's disastrous 4-1 defeat against Germany in the last 16 at the 2010 World Cup.