The former Chelsea midfielder was overlooked by Fabio Capello for the opening two games with United States and Algeria.

But he received a rousing reception from the England fans when he came on mid-way through the second half of the vital win over Slovenia and made a telling contribution.

Cole is not the sort of individual who will rock the boat publicly if he is not playing.

But he was one of England's best performers at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and is desperate to make his mark in South Africa as England gear up for Sunday's last-16 clash with Germany.

He said: "It was nice to be part of it again on the pitch. It is a nice start really and hopefully now we can push on and try and win this World Cup.

"It was a great reception when I came on. The England fans know what I can do for my country. I've performed well for years now.

"The main thing is the squad and Milly (James Milner) was exceptional and Jermain (Defoe) will get you a goal out of nothing.

"But I'm glad I've played and, if I keep training well, hopefully I can make an impact on this World Cup."

Cole admitted: "Of course, it will be hard to get in after England's performance but things have never come easy to me so that's cool.

"I'll just do my thing. The main thing is the team and the way we play. We can be proud of how they played.

"People ask if it is easy to keep your head up when on the bench but it is a mental game. You want to play. But it's a team game, a squad game.

"I could have got the nod but it worked and I'm available and I'll fight.

"If I get one minute, I'll fight for that one minute. If I start, I'll fight for that.

"I came on and the thing was to stop their midfield, keep hold of the ball, break it up, win fouls.

"I did my job but hopefully I'll be able to come on and do something more progressive."

Cole claimed John Terry is the best centre-half in the world after his performance against Slovenia.

Terry dominated the headlines before the crunch meeting with Slovenia over his claims players wanted to discuss concerns over tactics and team selection with coach Fabio Capello.

But it was on the pitch the Chelsea player proved his true worth with a rock solid performance.

Cole said: "You can't knock 'JT' (Terry). He is the best centre-half in the world.

"Some of the blocks and the tackles he put in against Slovenia were brilliant.

"He has played with three different partners at the World Cup. John is the heartbeat of the side and he is an exceptional player."