Joe Cole is determined to shelve any thoughts about his future until after the World Cup.

Chelsea confirmed earlier yesterday that Cole’s seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge had come to an end, leaving him free to find a new club in time for next season.

Michael Ballack, who would have captained Germany in South Africa but for injury sustained in the FA Cup final, and Juliano Belletti, are also to leave the Blues.

Spurs, whose manager Harry Redknapp guided Cole through his formative years at West Ham, currently head a queue for the England trickster that also contains Arsenal and both Manchester clubs.

Yet the person least interested in discussing his future is Cole himself, who is remaining focused on England’s World Cup campaign.

“Chelsea is not a distraction,” he said. “My agent is doing it. I don’t want to be told what is happening until after the World Cup.

“The manager doesn’t want any distractions – and rightly so.

“You only get a few chances in your career to win a World Cup. Next year will sort itself out.

“The World Cup is so important. Every minute of the day is taken up with doing the best that I can at this World Cup.”

For a vast portion of this season, it appeared Cole would have all summer to contemplate his next move.

With his Chelsea contract running down, the 29-year-old struggled to establish himself in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans and when he was omitted from the England squad for the March friendly with Egypt, there was real doubt over his presence in South Africa.

But, after forcing his way into the provisional party, Cole sealed a place on the plane with an eye-catching second-half display in the recent friendly win over Japan. “I never feared my England days were over but it did cross my mind I might not make it to this tournament,” he said.

“It is tough for a manager to pick a player who is not playing regularly and, rightly or wrongly, I was used as more of an impact player at Chelsea last season.

“But my form for England has always stood up against anybody in my position. I am proud of that.”

The 90 minutes Cole played in the warm-up game against the Platinum Stars on Monday – a decision by Capello that has been interpreted as a signal the midfielder will start against the US in Saturday’s Group ‘C’ opener – was his first full game since February.

“It was a long time,” he said. “A player like me shouldn’t be going that long.

“There were times at Chelsea last year when I got back to my best, when I had four or five games in a row in January. But I am one of those players that need to play continuously. I am back to my best now – and I want to show it.”