Andy Brassell in France

"Hot in here, isn't it?" Approaching midnight in the press area beneath the Parc des Princes, Joe Cole pads his brow in mock exasperation. Even if the stuffy indoors is in stark contrast to the bitter chill of Parisian winter, it might be cumulative, as the England international has experienced his fair share of warmth since arriving in France at the summer transfer window's last knockings. The French have really taken to the loanee from Liverpool; his uncommonly-English flair, his bustling industry and even his game stabs at the basics of the language in post-match interviews have endeared him to the public. It's not, sadly for him, something that appears entirely mirrored back home, with Cole now appearing to accept he won't be back in the white of England at Euro 2012.