Likened to Messi last year, now just an average Joe?
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Likened to Messi last year, now Cole's fighting to prove he's more than just an average Joe
Back to work: Joe Cole (second left) returns to training at Melwood
To the families who were enjoying the glorious weather as they ambled obliviously through Regent's Park, he was just another young man exercising in the great outdoors.
As he approaches the first anniversary of his move to Anfield, Cole finds his position in Kenny Dalglish's squad even less secure than it was at the end of last season, following the capture of Charlie Adam from Blackpool and the pursuit of Aston Villa's Stewart Downing.
Cole was the man who arrived on Merseyside from Chelsea to huge public acclaim and was greeted with a ringing endorsement from captain Steven Gerrard, who wasted no time in likening his imagination and skills to Lionel Messi.
He was brought in to provide sublime service for Fernando Torres and ease the burden on Gerrard, and many predicted Cole would be a resounding success at Anfield and the business was hailed as one of the best free transfers ever.
It has been anything but. A red card on his Barclays Premier League debut against Arsenal was followed by missed penalties, injuries and plummeting form.
'I expect better from myself,' he said last October after being hauled off by Roy Hodgson during a chastening 2-0 defeat by Everton at Goodison Park.
'I know I'm at a club that is going to help me through it. Every minute of every day I'm thinking about how I can get there again.'
But now Cole finds himself confronted by possibly the biggest task of his career. It is inconceivable that £9million signing Adam will not be asked to become a creative hub after 12 goals and nine assists for Blackpool last season.
And, in a club that already has a surfeit of midfielders, it is difficult to envisage the two men playing in the same team. Many expect Cole to leave Anfield before this transfer window closes.
West Ham would have him back at Upton Park in a heartbeat, and Queens Park Rangers have also mulled over the pros and cons of offering him a fresh start.
The 29-year-old, however, is not in a hurry to turn his back on this particular fight. He has three years left on the lucrative deal he penned in the Swiss town of Bad Ragaz last July but his reasons for digging in are not purely fiscal.
It gnaws away at him that he has not met expectations and his determination in training has been recognised by Dalglish as being exemplary.
But it is true that Liverpool would not stand in his way if the right offer happened to come in and there are no promises he will make it into the starting line-up.
Adam's signing could well mean the chapter on this part of Cole's career is reaching an end but, until he hears otherwise, he will attempt to turn the tide through perseverance and hard work. Should that happen, the afternoon he spent toiling in Regent's Park will be worth it.