Chelsea have been a bit of a basket case of a club at times over the years.
Indeed, some incredible stories from the Chelsea dressing room have emerged over the years.
Chelsea’s players got Andre Villas-Boas sacked at one point, while there have been some high-profile bust ups at Chelsea over the years too.
Diego Costa seriously fell out with Antonio Conte, but, most of these dramas don’t end up getting physical.
However, speaking to Stadium Astro, Carlton Cole has shared a story of how he actually knocked one of his Chelsea teammates out in an early training session at the club.
Carlton Cole knocked out Jesper Gronkjaer
Cole told the story of how he knocked Gronkjaer out in an early training session.
The striker says that the winger kept kicking him in training, so he retaliated by swinging a punch at the former Ajax man.
According to Cole, that punch rendered the Dane unconscious, and he had to be stretchered out of training that day.
“I was backing into Jesper Gronkjaer and he kept kicking me and kneeing me in my back. He was a big lad,” Cole said.
“He kept doing it, I was like, stop doing that, I asked politely but he didn’t stop doing it. I said ‘next time you do that, I will knock you out.’ He’s done it again and tested me, I’ve turned around and I’ve lamped him.
“I thought ‘what have I done, I’ve just knocked out a first-teamer.’ He’s knocked out, sparko on the floor, unconscious, he had to be stretchered into the changing room. I’m thinking my career is over.”
Carlton Cole record alongside Jesper Gronkjaer
Cole thought his career would be over after knocking out one of Chelsea’s first-team players in training.
However, it was quite the opposite, Cole would go on to have a successful Premier League career.
Just months after knocking Gronkjaer out, he was getting first-team minutes for Chelsea alongside his former sparring partner.
Interestingly, it was an assist from Gronkjaer that led to Cole’s first ever career goal, and the pair actually had a really good record together.
| Carlton Cole record alongside Jesper Gronkjaer | |
|---|---|
| 9 | |
| Wins | 7 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Joint goal participation | 1 |
Gronkjaer would eventually leave Chelsea to join Birmingham City, while Cole would go on to spend almost a decade with West Ham United, carving out a very solid career for himself.
Cole nearly joined Liverpool at one point, but, after an early training session at Chelsea, he thought his career was over.
