Andy Cole

Andrew Cole is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United. He also played in the top division of English football for Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland. He won eight major trophies, including the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 1999.

About Andy Cole in brief

Summary Andy ColeAndrew Cole is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United. He also played in the top division of English football for Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland, as well 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, and fastest to score 50 goals. Cole was capped 15 times for the England national team between 1995 and 2001, scoring once against Albania in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier. He won eight major trophies, including the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League in 1999. Cole has the distinction of being one of the few players in England to have swept all possible honours in the English game, including PFA Young Player of the Year award, and the coveted Champions League title. In February 1993, Division One leaders Newcastle United broke their club transfer record by paying £1.75million to sign Cole. In all, Cole scored 68 goals in 84 matches for Newcastle, giving him a strike rate of 81%. Cole’s last goal for Newcastle United came in a 1–1 draw with Ipswich Town on January 1, 1994. On 10 January 1995, Cole was suddenly sold to Manchester United for a shock £7million – £6 6 million plus cash plus £1-1 cash-rated cash.

He felt the iconic status at Newcastle was affecting him personally, and personally felt the move was premature. Cole is now the most expensive British transfer record for a player of his generation. He has also won the FA Cup, League Cup, Premier League and League Cup with Blackburn, Manchester United, Ipswich and Manchester City. He was also the first English player to win the PFA Player of The Year award and the Football League Player ofthe Year award. He currently lives in the United States with his wife and two young children, and works as a personal trainer in Los Angeles, California. He previously worked as a football pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and The Mail on Sunday in the UK and has also worked for the BBC Radio 4 in the Middle East and the BBC Asian Network in the Asia Pacific region. He recently released a book about his experiences as a professional footballer, entitled, “My Life as a Striker: The Story of Andrew Cole” The book is published by Simon Hooper and is available on Kindle and Nook, with a Kindle version available on Amazon for £3.99. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, or click here for details on how to get in contact with Samaritans. The Samaritans can also be contacted on 0800 555 111, or visit www.samaritans.org.