Tord watched Chelsea's trip to Highbury and the 67 year old was soon on the phone to Head Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to discuss how the England players fared, particularly Cole, who has scored four goals in 29 appearances for his country.

"Sven phoned me after yesterday’s game and we both said that he [Cole] was the man of the match," Tord told theFA.com.

From being known as a mercurial trickster during his early days at West Ham, the 24 year old has matured greatly as a player under Jose Mourinho's guidance at Stamford Bridge.

Regarded as something of an impact player during Mourinho's early tenure, whose sporadic performances often came from the bench, Cole has since developed into a key player for The Blues as well as England.

"These days he is so much more of a complete player," added Tord. "Before he was a talented player but he’s gone beyond that level now.

"He is quickly becoming an excellent player. He scores goals and the defensive work he puts in has added an extra dimension to his game.

"That work he does for his team is a really important skill to have as a player at the highest level because you have to know when to go forward and you also have to know when you have your defensive duties."

Tord added that Cole is a player who can rise to the big occasion, just as he did at Highbury, and recalled an important contribution to England's dramatic 3-2 win over Argentina in November.

"He’s not a nervous boy either - you can see that he relishes these big games. He did the same for us when we played Argentina. He came on as a substitute and he and Crouch changed the game for us," said Tord.