Carlton Cole will be "massive" for West Ham United this season and the "best is yet to come", according to Gianfranco Zola.
The No12 is full of confidence before the 2009/10 big kick-off this afternoon at Wolverhampton Wanderers having shone brightly as a substitute in England's 2-2 draw in the Netherlands on Wednesday. His club manager is expecting his striker to lead the line equally well for West Ham United and improve on his ten league goals last campaign.
"I feel very good for him [Cole] because there is no better feeling than when you see a player improving," said Zola of a player who actually played seven games for Wolves on loan during the 2002/03 season. "I was a player and I know the biggest satisfaction was not only scoring a goal but when something is becoming better.
"He will be massive for us and I'm assuming he'll also be important for England, because the way he played the other day was very encouraging. Carlton Cole knows that this season will be the most important season of his career.
"He's got high expectations but, along with them come high qualities. He's maturity is building so I'm sure he'll be ready."
Many have put Cole's progress down to the last year because he has been working directly with Zola and Steve Clarke but the manager disagrees. "To be honest, I think it was very much down to him, because the player has the quality. There is no doubt about that. What we have done with him is to try and encourage those qualities and give him confidence and add something to his game.
"Nobody can do miracles unless somebody is willing to make a miracle, so he is the one that really has worked hard and made himself available with his attitude. He's been always open minded and that has made the difference, really.
"He established positive habits and now he is growing up. I can tell you I am not anxious to say that, for me, nobody has seen the best of Carlton Cole."
Zola has spent hours on the training pitch working with Cole - often once everyone else has gone in after the main session - and is seeing the benefit. "We did [work with him], especially with his finishing. His movements were okay, but we just needed to improve his positivity in front of the goalkeeper, and he's been very good.
"I just try all the time to settle him down. What have I done as a footballer can be a good credential but then you have to work every day with them and get them to understand their own frame of mind and give them something that will be useful to them using all your knowledge and experience.
"[Working with players like Cole] is the only reason why I do this job and I said that in the first place when I first took the job. I said I am here to give them something to improve their games, so you can understand my feelings when I see them flourishing. It's very pleasing for me and very satisfying."