 In February 2011, Cole's career ended prematurely when Oxford United announced that he had been forced to retire due to a serious heart condition.During his time at West Ham, at the age of 17, Cole discovered he had a heart condition, but continued to play as his condition gradually improved.However, in November 2010, Cole began to suffer from shortness of breath during training and matches, and was subsequently advised by a leading cardiologist to stop playing competitive football to avoid the risk of a serious heart episode.