MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid plan to give their international defender Sergio Ramos, who has reportedly sparked interest from AC Milan, a salary hike in

LONDON (AFP) - Joe Cole and Croatia boss Slaven Bilic are both West Ham old boys but the England midfielder is expecting no favours from Bilic at Wembley on Wednesday.

Cole was just breaking through at West Ham when Bilic was a mainstay of the first team and, while he remembers him fondly, he can also recall the Croatian's competitive instincts.

"Slaven was a big player for West Ham when I was very young and he'll get his team going on Wednesday," Cole said ahead of a match in which England need a draw to secure their place in next year's Euro 2008 finals.

"He's a professional and there'll certainly be no favours from him. He'll put a side out there to win the game. Frank (Lampard) knew him more than me and played with him for a few years at West Ham.

"Slaven was well liked and well appreciated at West Ham. He was a really top player and he's proving himself as a manager as well."

Croatia will go into Wednesday's match with nothing to play for having already qualified.

But with their pride having taken a knock after a shock 2-0 defeat in Macedonia at the weekend, Bilic's men will be looking to restore the sheen to their reputations by completing a double over England, whom they comfortably beat 2-0 in Zagreb last year.

Cole added: "I didn't play in the game in Croatia but (Arsenal forward) Eduardo da Silva up front is a threat and they keep the ball well. They're a very good technical team and very good at home.

"They'll come to Wembley and maybe relax and try to knock the ball around. But it's all about us, really. We have to perform as we know we can."

England were left facing the prospect of missing out on the finals after they surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 to Russia in Moscow last month.

But they were handed a reprieve at the weekend when the Russians went down by the same scoreline in Israel.

Cole voiced confidence that England could put the Moscow setback behind them, and dismissed suggestions that he and his team-mates were extremely fortunate to be handed a second bite at the cherry.

"Apart from 10 minutes in Russia, we've done very well for the last six months or so since the summer draw with Brazil at Wembley," he said.

"We've found a style of play that has suited us. There's a belief there. We've performed for the last 10 games and we want to keep that going.

"I know it can be a cruel game at times but you get what you deserve.

England have been notoriously unlucky at times in the past in major tournaments so maybe we're getting a little bit back now.

"If we qualify, we will have deserved to qualify."