english football player
“ Andrew Cole ” redirects here. For other people of the like name, see Andrew Cole ( disambiguation )
Andrew Alexander Cole ( bear 15 October 1971 ) is an english erstwhile professional football player who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is largely remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a british record transmit fee to sign him from Newcastle United. Cole spent six years with Manchester United and won eight major trophies, including the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 1999.

Reading: Andy Cole

a good as for Manchester United and Newcastle United, Cole besides played in the top division of English football for Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland, american samoa good as in The Football League for Bristol City, Birmingham City, Burnley and Nottingham Forest. He is the third-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 187 goals, and holds Premier League records for most goals scored in a 42-game season ( 34 ), [ 2 ] and fastest to score 50 goals ( 65 matches ), adenine well as being the first player to top the Premier League ‘s goalscoring charts and assist charts in the same temper in their own right, in 1993–94. [ 3 ] Cole has the distinction of being one of the few players in England to have swept all potential honours in the english game, including the PFA Young Player of the Year prize, ampere well as the covet UEFA Champions League title. Cole was besides capped 15 times for the England national team between 1995 and 2001, scoring once against Albania in a 2002 FIFA World Cup modifier. [ 4 ]

Club career [edit ]

early career [edit ]

Cole began his career as a youth player for Arsenal on leaving school in 1988, signing professional in 1989. He made his only league appearance for Arsenal, aged 19, as a substitute against Sheffield United at Highbury during a first Division match on 29 December 1990. Arsenal won 4–1 but Cole did not score. He besides made a stand-in appearance against Tottenham Hotspur in the Charity Shield in 1991 and about made an immediate impact, hitting the side netting from outside the punishment area. [ 5 ] The play along season, Cole was loaned to Fulham in the Third Division, where he scored three goals in 13 matches. Cole joined Second Division Bristol City on lend in March 1992 before signing in a £ 500,000 permanent deal in the summer of 1992, at the time becoming their most expensive player. Having proved himself as a competent young goalscorer with Bristol City ( who began the 1992–93 season in the new Football League Division One following the creation of the Premier League ), Cole was quickly one of the hottest prospects in England and his name was frequently linked with Premier League clubs throughout the 1992–93 season .

newcastle United [edit ]

In February 1993, Division One leaders Newcastle United broke their club transfer record by paying £1.75 million to sign Cole. He then scored 12 goals in equally many league matches as Newcastle cruised to the Division One championship and won forwarding to the Premier League. His 12 goals included two hat-tricks, the first against Barnsley on 7 April, the second on the final day of the temper in a 7–1 forge of Leicester City. [ 6 ] He besides scored the first of the clubhouse ‘s two goals in their 2–0 forwarding clinching win over Grimsby Town at Blundell Park on 4 May. [ 7 ] After David Kelly was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers, director Kevin Keegan brought in Peter Beardsley as Cole ‘s fall upon partner for the 1993–94 Premier League campaign. Cole scored 34 goals in 40 matches during Newcastle ‘s first Premier League season as they finished third gear, and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time since the 1970s. His first base top part goal was in a 1–1 disembowel against defending league champions Manchester United at Old Trafford on 21 August 1993. [ 8 ] This was Newcastle ‘s inaugural finish in the Premier League. [ 9 ] precisely three months later, Cole scored all three goals as Newcastle defeated Liverpool 3–0 at home. [ 10 ] Another emphatic hat-trick followed against Coventry City in deep February and with Peter Beardsley about vitamin a deadly as his assume spouse. [ 11 ] Cole scored 41 full goals in all competitions – breaking the club ‘s goalscoring criminal record which had been set by Hughie Gallacher closely 70 years early ( Gallacher placid holds the read for the highest count of league goals in a season with 36 ). [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Cole was subsequently voted PFA Young Player of the year for that season. [ 14 ] Cole then scored 9 goals in 18 Premier League matches for Newcastle after the begin of the 1994–95 season, and besides scored a hat-trick against Royal Antwerp in the UEFA Cup. [ 15 ] In all, Cole scored 68 goals in 84 matches for Newcastle, giving him a mint rate of 81 %. Cole ‘s last goal for Newcastle United came in the 1–1 home hook with Ipswich Town on 26 November 1994. [ 16 ]

manchester United [edit ]

On 10 January 1995, Cole was suddenly sold in a shock deal to Manchester United for a share worth £7 million – £6 million cash plus £1 million-rated Keith Gillespie going in the opposite management, setting a new read for the most expensive british transfer. [ 17 ] Newcastle fans were saddened and confused with Keegan for selling Cole, leading to Keegan publicly confronting fans at St James ‘ Park, against the advice of president Sir John Hall and beginning team coach Terry McDermott, explaining his reasons on the day of the transfer. [ 18 ] Cole stated his sadness at leaving the club, however felt the iconic condition Newcastle fans aligned with him was previous and affecting him personally, whilst he cited Newcastle ‘s November loss to Wimbledon F.C as permanently damaging his relationship with Keegan. [ 19 ] McDermott stated in his autobiography that Keegan decided to sell Cole citing a drop in form and exuberance, whilst besides hoping to sign Queens Park Rangers F.C. striker Les Ferdinand shortly following Cole ‘s passing. [ 20 ] Ferdinand signed for Newcastle the postdate season. [ 21 ] Despite joining halfway through the 1994–95 season, Cole inactive managed to score 12 goals in fair 18 Premier League matches for United. This included his inaugural, the achiever in a 1–0 victory over Aston Villa on 4 February at Old Trafford and five in the 9–0 mob of Ipswich Town, making him the first gear musician to score five goals in a Premier League match. however, Cole missed two finish chances in the final minutes against West Ham United on the concluding day of the temper as they could merely manage a 1–1 pull and the league title went to Blackburn Rovers rather. He was cup-tied for the FA Cup Final a week former. Without him, United lost to Everton 1–0. United were besides without the banned Eric Cantona and the injure Andrei Kanchelskis, the cabaret ‘s two other highest scoring players that season. Cole ‘s foremost full season in 1995–96 with Manchester United proved to be unmanageable, as Cole struggled to find his trademark shape in a side now built around the much acclaim recurrence of Eric Cantona. Though Cole scored in four-straight matches during the winter, including an crucial hatchway goal in United ‘s 2–0 frustration of style rivals Newcastle United on 27 December, Cole was badgered by fans and critics alike across much of the season for only scoring 14 times and missing many chances. however, Cole picked up his imprint in the business end of the season and scored critical goals including the counterweight in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea to help send United to Wembley Stadium again. He then collected his first base Premier League championship winners medal and scored the moment finish in United ‘s 3–0 frustration of Middlesbrough on the final day of the season to help United win the Premier League entitle for the third fourth dimension in four years. He besides played in their FA Cup final victory to become separate of England ‘s first gear always english to win the double doubly. Before the 1996–97 temper began, Cole had to deal with being offered to Blackburn Rovers as part-exchange in a £12 million deal that would have brought Alan Shearer to Old Trafford, but the offer was rejected and Shearer joined Newcastle alternatively. Despite Alex Ferguson ‘s clear indication to Cole that he was looking for another striker, after the Shearer deal fell through, Cole fought to stay at the club and was handed the act 9 shirt, having previously worn 17. The arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjær – and being the victim of two break legs suffered after a harness by Neil Ruddock in a reserve pit against Liverpool, [ 22 ] restricted Cole ‘s first-team chances further. however, he managed to recover by December that class and still played in 20 Premier League matches ( ten as a substitute ) for the season. kale then ended the season powerfully with several crucial goals in both the league ( such as away at championship rivals Arsenal ), and in the UEFA Champions League ( where he scored a finish voted the season ‘s best european goal against Porto ) to complete his rejoinder from injury. Cole then scored the title sealing goal in a landmark 3–1 winnings for United at Anfield – the scene of his broken stage just half a season earlier – against Roy Evans ‘ “ Spice Boys “ Liverpool team and thereby aiding United in winning their fourth championship in five years, with Cole winning another Premier League title decoration. For the 1997–98 season, the retirement of Eric Cantona saw Cole emerge as first base choice hitter once again, and he discovered his best shape ever for the club. He became the joint top goalscorer in the Premier League during the course of the season with 18 goals, including a batch of dramatic goals, one of which ( a chip against Everton ) had the fans ‘ vote as the Manchester United goal of the season. Cole besides developed a potent partnership with Teddy Sheringham ( despite considerable personal friction between the two ), but United finished trophyless for alone the moment time in nine seasons as they lost to Arsenal in the end. Cole achieved respective personal landmarks in this campaign, scoring his first european hat-trick for the golf club in an aside match at Feyenoord, vitamin a well as ending the temper as runner-up in the PFA Players ‘ Player of the Year award to Arsenal ‘s Dennis Bergkamp. Despite this accreditation, and being the leading goalscorer in all competitions that temper with 25, Cole was omitted from England ‘s 1998 FIFA World Cup squad by then-manager Glenn Hoddle. [ 15 ] Cole remained cheerful when interviewed and when asked about his new-found recurrence to achiever, he claimed he had found freedom in his life after the injuries of the previous temper, saying he had great joy with his neonate son and lived for him and his family in his religion as a born-again Christian. [ citation needed ] He besides claimed the friendship of Ryan Giggs, his roommate on aside matches, was a major motivation agent through the bad times when fans doubted him at United. [ citation needed ] Cole faced contest from new signing Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær during the 1998–99 season, but ended up developing an vastly successful partnership with Yorke. The two contributed 53 goals between them and were rated as one of the most fear attacking partnerships in Europe, with the pair scoring against sides like Barcelona away at the Camp Nou, and repeating the form all season with incredible one-touch passes and assists that at times seemed to demonstrate a telepathic understand. Cole played a key role in the side ‘s singular ternary of the Premier League title, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League. Cole scored the winning goal in United ‘s final Premier League match of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, a consequence which intend United finished one luff ahead of rivals Arsenal to win the Premier League title. He besides scored United ‘s one-third and winning goal in their Champions League semi-final second peg against Juventus, sealing their stead in the final for the first time in over 30 years. besides in this season, Cole scored his hundredth Premier League goal in a top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford on 17 February ; the match ended 1–1. During United ‘s pre-season tour of Australia in July 1999, Cole was involved in a horror harness which left 19-year-old australian defender Simon Colosimo sidelined for six months and requiring a complete knee reconstruction. Before the wound, Colosimo was one of Australia ‘s best new players and was about to make a bad money move to Europe, and was never able to complete a career in Europe, despite a handful of appearances for Manchester City. Cole was United ‘s moment top scorer again in 1999–2000 with 19 goals in 28 Premier League matches. He collected his fourth Premier League title decoration in five seasons, and scored over 20 goals in all competitions for the third consecutive season. Cole scored many goals for United including the only goal of the game in their top-of-the-table clash against their closest rivals Leeds United. He besides joined an elect group during this season by scoring his hundredth goal for the club in a 2–2 hook against Wimbledon. Another title followed in 2000–01 when, despite suffering from an wound that restricted his appearances, Cole scored 13 goals in all competitions, including four in the UEFA Champions League, allowing him ( at the time ) to become Manchester United ‘s read finish scorekeeper in european rival of all-time. The following 2001–02 season saw Cole confront competition from fresh signing Ruud avant-garde Nistelrooy, angstrom well as Dwight Yorke, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and besides Paul Scholes for places up movement, with Sir Alex Ferguson adopting a more bourgeois approach, specially in european matches, by playing Scholes behind Van Nistelrooy with Roy Keane and Juan Sebastián Verón in a three-man midfield. Despite this, Cole managed to score seven goals before leaving for Blackburn Rovers after falling behind to the formidable partnership of Van Nistelrooy and Solskjær, forcing him into a “ super bomber ” function. Cole made one last appearance for Manchester United in the UEFA Celebration Match six years later, on 13 March 2007, coming on at half-time for a friendly match between Manchester United and a european eleven, in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the European Community and 50 years of Manchester United in the european Cup .

Blackburn Rovers [edit ]

The arrival of Ruud avant-garde Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastián Verón counted against Cole ‘s first-team chances in the 2001–02 season, and on 29 December 2001, Cole was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £8 million. [ 4 ] Within two months of arrive, he had collected a League Cup winners medal, scoring the gain goal for Blackburn in the concluding against Tottenham Hotspur, who were managed by the erstwhile England director and open critic of Cole, Glenn Hoddle. This victory meant that, in the space of seven seasons, Cole had won wholly four domestic trophies plus a european trophy. Cole ended the season with a entire of 18 goals in all competitions, 5 for Manchester United and 13 in fair 20 matches for Blackburn. Rovers finished sixth the follow season and qualified for the UEFA Cup. That crusade saw Cole reunited with Dwight Yorke, who had signed for Blackburn from Manchester United for £2 million in July 2002. Cole had a frustrating season in 2003–04 season, as Rovers slid into the bottom half of the Premier League, finishing 15th. He scored 11 goals but his relationship with director Graeme Souness hit rock candy bottom after Cole reported him to the Professional Footballers ‘ Association ( “ PFA ” ) accusing him of unfair treatment. Cole scored 37 goals in 100 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn. [ citation needed ]

late career and retirement [edit ]

Thirteen years after spending a calendar month on lend at Fulham, Cole returned to Craven Cottage for the 2004–05 season, joining them on a annual contract. [ 23 ] He was the club ‘s top scorer and scored one of the goals of the season against Liverpool. Despite this successful menstruation at Fulham, he decided to leave the clubhouse after only one season as his family wanted to return to the North West. [ citation needed ]

Cole signed for Manchester City on a unblock transfer at the beginning of the 2005–06 season, [ 24 ] and enjoyed a good start to his career at Eastlands. Stuart Pearce ‘s side spent most of the season in the top half of the table, but Cole ‘s season was ended by injury in March. Despite signing a fresh contract with Manchester City alone months earlier [ 25 ] and leaving Fulham in 2005 to return to the north, Cole signed for south coast club Portsmouth on remove deadline sidereal day ( 31 August 2006 ) for an undisclosed fee, reported as £500,000 with the electric potential to rise to £1 million depending on appearances. [ 26 ] He scored his beginning league goal for his new club in the 2–0 acquire at home plate to West Ham United on 14 October. [ 27 ] however, Cole struggled to break into Harry Redknapp ‘s side and in March 2007, he signed on loan for Birmingham City of the Championship until the end of the season. [ 28 ] Cole returned to Portsmouth after five appearances and one goal ( against Wolverhampton Wanderers ) [ 29 ] for Birmingham. He was released on 3 August 2007. [ 30 ] After being released by Portsmouth at the end of the 2006–07 season, Cole signed a annual contract with Sunderland on a release transplant, reuniting him once more with erstwhile Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers fall upon partner Dwight Yorke, and under the management of early United teammate Roy Keane. After seven matches for the club, Cole spent three months on loanword at Burnley where he scored six goals for the Championship club, including a hat-trick against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road. [ 31 ] Reflecting on his time at Turf Moor, Cole stated, “ I went to Burnley and spoke to Owen Coyle and got a great vibration. He brought the best out of me and made me feel a draw younger than my age. ” [ 32 ] Cole was released by Sunderland at the end of the 2007–08 season. On 4 July 2008, Cole signed a 12-month cover with Nottingham Forest, his 12th golf club and hometown golf club from childhood. however, on 31 October 2008, Forest confirmed Cole ‘s contract had been cancelled by common accept after 11 appearances and 0 goals. On 11 November 2008, Cole announced his retirement from football, ending a 19-year career. [ 33 ]

International career [edit ]

Despite foremost being capped for England in 1995, Cole earned only 15 caps by the time he announced his retirement from international football after failing to be selected for the 2002 World Cup squad. He scored one finish for England, in a World Cup qualifying match against Albania in March 2001. [ 34 ] He besides scored in his single appearance for the England B team. Glenn Hoddle, in defense of his decision not to select Cole for the World Cup in 1998, accused Cole of needing six or seven chances to score one goal. [ 35 ] A persistent toe injury in the lead up to UEFA Euro 2000 led to Cole missing out on another major contest for his country. [ 36 ] [ 37 ] Cole earned his beginning four caps under four different managers. He made his debut against Uruguay under Terry Venables in 1995 ; appeared adjacent against Italy under Glenn Hoddle at the Tournoi de France in 1997 ; made his one-third appearance against France under caretaker Howard Wilkinson in 1999 ; and ultimately earned his fourthly cap against Poland under new director Kevin Keegan in his beginning starting appearance a few weeks late .

Coaching career [edit ]

In August 2009, Cole was hired by his early Manchester United and England teammate, Milton Keynes Dons director Paul Ince, to coach the club ‘s forwards on an initially impermanent basis. [ 38 ] however, one workweek later, Cole agreed to spend at least two days a week working on finishing with the forwards at Huddersfield Town, under his early Newcastle United and Fulham teammate Lee Clark. [ 39 ] In December 2010, Cole was back at Manchester United, working at the Carrington educate flat coat while finishing his coach badges. [ 40 ] In October 2019, Cole was named as ahead and attack coach help director, Sol Campbell at Southend United. [ 41 ] On 30 June 2020, coach Campbell and his three assistants including Cole left the clubhouse by reciprocal consent. [ 42 ]

Recording career [edit ]

In 1999, Cole signed to WEA/Warner Music and released a cover of “ Outstanding “ which reached numeral 68 in the Official Charts Company singles chart. [ 43 ]

personal life [edit ]

Cole representing Manchester United in Tokyo, March 2014 Cole ‘s father, Lincoln, emigrated to the UK from Jamaica in 1957 and worked as a ember miner in Gedling, Nottinghamshire, from 1965 to 1987. [ 44 ] Cole married his long-time girlfriend Shirley Dewar in July 2002. [ 45 ] Their son, Devante, is besides a master football player who plays as a forward for Barnsley. In 2008, Cole was questioned by patrol after an alleged assault on his wife at their home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, before being released on bail. [ 46 ] Six months late, Cole, through his spokesperson law firm Schillings, won damages in an action against the owners of the Daily Star for defamation regarding the issue of material concerning the assault allegations and for harms caused against his family by sensationalist reports. [ 45 ] In April 2016, Cole was named in the Panama Papers. [ 47 ]

Health [edit ]

In June 2014, Cole suffered kidney failure after developing focal metameric glomerulosclerosis. [ 48 ] In April 2017, he underwent a kidney transplant. [ 49 ] His nephew Alexander was the donor. [ 50 ]

Charity work [edit ]

In 2000, Cole visited Zimbabwe and returned to set up his own charitable foundation, called the Andy Cole Children ‘s Foundation, which helped AIDS orphans in the area. The charity has since closed depressed. [ 51 ] He had since set up the Andy Cole Fund to raise money for Kidney Research UK, after suffering kidney failure in 2015 after contracting an airborne virus. [ 52 ] [ 53 ]

career statistics [edit ]

Honours [edit ]

Arsenal
Newcastle United
Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers
Individual

Relationships with early players [edit ]

Neil Ruddock considered Cole to be the player he most enjoy play against. In a blunt consultation with Talksport, he facetiously referred to the incident that resulted in Cole suffering two break legs in 1997 as “ not big, and not clever ”, adding “ but it was big ”, and that “ I did n’t mean to break both of his leg if I ‘m honest, I alone meant to break one ”. [ 55 ] In 2010, Cole wrote in his column in The Independent he had “ loathed ” and “ pretty much detested ” former Manchester United and England teammate Teddy Sheringham “ for 15 years ” after Sheringham did not offer to shake Cole ‘s pass as Cole was substituted on for Sheringham to make his England debut in a meet against Uruguay at Wembley in 1995. [ 56 ]

References [edit ]