Cole has been sidelined with knee and foot injuries this term which he has admitted would have been difficult for him to overcome had he sustained them when he was younger.

Cole returned to action as a second-half substitute against Valencia in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night and now wants to make up for lost time.

Cole's injury has kept him out of England's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign but with Chelsea chasing success in the Barclays Premiership, the FA Cup and the Champions League, the midfielder could not have timed his return much better.

The dark days of working out in gym until six o'clock in the evening have been replaced by a hunger to help Jose Mourinho's side add more silverware to the Carling Cup they collected in February.

Cole declared: "It's a been a long time and a difficult season. I've missed more or less the whole campaign with two big injuries.

"But I am back now and feeling my way into it. I am sure I will have something to say this year once I get my fitness and sharpness back 100%. I will be able to make a bigger impact and it is great to have all the big games to do it in.

"I had two major injuries really - three months out with a knee injury and then four months with my foot. I've never had anything like it in my career. It was a challenge mentally as well as physically. But I've come through it and want to put it behind me by playing football again.

"We have a great set-up here and you just have to get on with it. Maybe if I had suffered these injuries when I was 20 or 21, I wouldn't have come through it because it was tough mentally.

"But I have grown up a lot in the last few years, I've got a good family behind me and I've just got my head down and worked hard every day. I'm through it now and hopefully there will no recurrence.

"It is a tough slog in the gym when you are injured but I've still got to get back to being match fit. The manager will be watching me closely in training and in games when I come off the bench, so he will know when I am ready to start."

Cole is hoping to continue his return against Tottenham in the Premiership on Saturday and the return leg against Valencia in Spain on Tuesday.

The tie is delicately poised at 1-1 after Didier Drogba cancelled out David Silva's first-half thunderbolt but Cole believes they can finish the job in Spain.

Cole added: "I am fit and available for selection for the second leg and for the game against Spurs on Saturday. It is up to the manager. All games at this level are tough games. Valencia have been one of the best sides in Spain for the last 10 years and they have a proven pedigree in this competition.

"We felt we should have won the game but it wasn't to be. We need a solid performance next week, we need to score goals and go there to win the game.

"We dominated the first game and should have won it but it is only half-time, we need to go to Spain and put in one of our best performances.

"But it could go from being my worst season to my best now if we win some trophies. We are fighting on all three fronts for that. We have had lots of injuries to key players and it has really stretched the squad. It's been a credit to the lads. People have criticised for not being as good as we have been but we are still there. It is a great accolade for the boys.

"We were disappointed to have conceded the away goal in the first leg but we are more than capable of winning over there. Every game for us is like a cup final now and we are thriving on it, we are rolling.

"We have too many experienced players to be intimidated. It will be a hostile atmosphere but we are used to that."

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