 Cole in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Alexander Cole[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-10-15)15 October 1971 (age 54)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1989 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1992 | Arsenal | 1 | (0) |
| 1991 | →Fulham (loan) | 13 | (3) |
| 1992 | →Bristol City (loan) | 12 | (8) |
| 1992–1993 | Bristol City | 29 | (12) |
| 1993–1995 | Newcastle United | 70 | (55) |
| 1995–2001 | Manchester United | 195 | (93) |
| 2001–2004 | Blackburn Rovers | 83 | (27) |
| 2004–2005 | Fulham | 31 | (12) |
| 2005–2006 | Manchester City | 22 | (9) |
| 2006–2007 | Portsmouth | 18 | (3) |
| 2007 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Sunderland | 7 | (0) |
| 2008 | →Burnley (loan) | 13 | (6) |
| 2008 | Nottingham Forest | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 509 | (229) | |
| International career | |||
| 1991 | England U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 1992–1993 | England U21 | 8 | (4) |
| 1994 | England B | 1 | (1) |
| 1995–2001 | England | 15 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Andrew Alexander Cole (born 15 October 1971) is an English former professionalfootballer who played as astriker. His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time withManchester United, who paid aBritish record transfer fee to sign him fromNewcastle United. Cole spent six years with Manchester United and won nine trophies, including fivePremier League titles and the Treble of the Premier League,FA Cup andUEFA Champions League in 1999.
As well as Manchester United and Newcastle United, Cole also played in the top division of English football forArsenal,Blackburn Rovers,Fulham,Manchester City,Portsmouth andSunderland, as well as inThe Football League forBristol City,Birmingham City,Burnley andNottingham Forest. He is thefifth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 187 goals, and used to hold the Premier League records for most goals scored in a 42-game season (34), the fastest player to score 50 goals (65 matches), and the first player to top both the Premier League's goalscoring and assist charts in the same season (1993–94).[4]
Cole has the distinction of having won every top-level team competition in English football at least once, as well as the primary European competition, the UEFA Champions League. As an individual he has won thePFA Young Player of the Year award. Cole wascapped 15 times for theEngland national team between 1995 and 2001, scoring once againstAlbania in a2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier.[5]
Cole began his career as a youth player forArsenal on leaving school in 1988, signing professional in 1989. He made his only league appearance for Arsenal, aged 19, as asubstitute againstSheffield United atHighbury during aFirst Division match on 29 December 1990. Arsenal won 4–1 but Cole did not score. He also made a substitute appearance againstTottenham Hotspur in theCharity Shield in1991 and almost made an immediate impact, hitting the side netting from outside the penalty area.[6] The following season, Cole was loaned toFulham in theThird Division, where he scored three goals in 13 matches.
Cole joinedSecond DivisionBristol City on loan 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 the1992–93 season in the newFootball League Division One following the creation of thePremier 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.
In February 1993, Division One leadersNewcastle United broke their club transfer record by paying £1.75 million to sign Cole. He then scored 12 goals in as many league matches as Newcastle cruised to the Division One title and won promotion to the Premier League. His 12 goals included two hat-tricks, the first againstBarnsley on 7 April, the second on the final day of the season in a 7–1 hammering ofLeicester City.[7] He also scored the first of the club's two goals in their 2–0 promotion clinching win overGrimsby Town atBlundell Park on 4 May.[8]
AfterDavid Kelly was sold toWolverhampton Wanderers, managerKevin Keegan brought inPeter Beardsley as Cole's strike partner for the1993–94 Premier League campaign.
Cole scored 34 goals in 40 matches during Newcastle's first Premier League season as they finished third, and qualified for theUEFA Cup for the first time since the 1970s. His first top division goal was in a 1–1 draw against defending league championsManchester United atOld Trafford on 21 August 1993.[9] This was Newcastle's first goal in the Premier League.[10] Exactly three months later, Cole scored all three goals as Newcastle defeatedLiverpool 3–0 at home.[11] Another emphatic hat-trick followed againstCoventry City in late February and withPeter Beardsley almost as lethal as his strike partner.[12] Cole scored 41 total goals in all competitions – breaking the club's goalscoring record which had been set byHughie Gallacher nearly 70 years earlier (Gallacher still holds the record for the highest number of league goals in a season with 36).[13][14] Cole scored in 26 different Premier League appearances for Newcastle in 1993–94, which is a season record in the competition by a player.[15]
Cole was subsequently votedPFA Young Player of the Year for that season.[16]
Cole then scored 9 goals in 18 Premier League matches for Newcastle after the start of the1994–95 season, and also scored a hat-trick againstRoyal Antwerp in theUEFA Cup.[17]
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 the 1–1 home draw withIpswich Town on 26 November 1994.[18]
On 10 January 1995, Cole was suddenly sold in a shock deal to Manchester United for a deal worth £7 million – £6 million cash plus £1 million-ratedKeith Gillespie going in the opposite direction, setting a new record for themost expensive British transfer.[19] Newcastle fans were saddened and confused with Keegan for selling Cole, leading to Keegan publicly confronting fans atSt James' Park, against the advice of chairmanSir John Hall and first team coachTerry McDermott, explaining his reasons on the day of the transfer.[20] Cole stated his sadness at leaving the club, however felt the iconic status Newcastle fans aligned with him was premature and affecting him personally, while he cited Newcastle's November loss toWimbledon as permanently damaging his relationship with Keegan.[21] McDermott stated in his autobiography that Keegan decided to sell Cole citing a drop in form and enthusiasm, while also hoping to signQueens Park Rangers strikerLes Ferdinand shortly following Cole's departure.[22] Ferdinand signed for Newcastle that summer.[23]
Despite joining halfway through the 1994–95 season, Cole still managed to score 12 goals in just 18 Premier League matches for United. This included his first, the winner in a 1–0 victory overAston Villa on 4 February at Old Trafford and five in the9–0 rout of Ipswich Town, making him the first player to score five goals in a Premier League match. He also scored twice in away wins over Leicester City and Coventry City during the season's final stages, as his new team kept up the pressure and cut the gap between themselves and league leaders Blackburn Rovers.
However, Cole missed two goal chances in the final minutes againstWest Ham United on the final day of the season as they could only manage a 1–1 draw and the league title went toBlackburn Rovers instead. He wascup-tied for theFA Cup Final a week later. Without him, United lost toEverton 1–0. United were also without the bannedEric Cantona and the injuredAndrei Kanchelskis, the club's two other highest scoring players that season.
Cole's first full season in1995–96 with Manchester United proved to be difficult, as Cole struggled to find his trademark form in a side now built around the much heralded return of Eric Cantona. Though Cole scored in four consecutive matches halfway through the season, including an important opening goal in United's 2–0 defeat of title 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 form in the final stages of the season and scored crucial goals including the equaliser in theFA Cup semi-final againstChelsea to help send United toWembley Stadium again. He then collected his first Premier League title winners medal and scored the second goal in United's 3–0 defeat ofMiddlesbrough on the final day of the season to help United win the Premier League title for the third time in four years - a remarkable turnaround as his new club had been 10 points behind his old club at Christmas.
He also played in United's FA Cup final victory to become part of England's first ever side to win the double twice.
Before the1996–97 season began, Cole had to deal with being offered to Blackburn Rovers as part-exchange in a £12 million deal that would have broughtAlan Shearer to Old Trafford, but the offer was rejected and Shearer joined Newcastle instead. DespiteAlex 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 thenumber 9 shirt, having previously worn 17. The arrival ofOle Gunnar Solskjær – and being the victim of two broken legs suffered after a tackle byNeil Ruddock in a reserve match against Liverpool,[24] restricted Cole's first-team chances further. However, he managed to recover by December 1996 and still played in 20 Premier League matches (ten as a substitute) for the season. Cole then ended the season strongly with several crucial goals in both the league (such as away at title rivals Arsenal), and in theUEFA Champions League (where he scored a goal voted the season's best European goal againstPorto) to complete his comeback from injury. Cole then scored the title sealing goal in a landmark 3–1 win for United atAnfield – the scene of his broken legs a few months earlier - as United moved closer to another title triumph.
For the1997–98 season, the retirement of Eric Cantona saw Cole emerge as first choice striker once again, and he discovered his best form ever for the club. He found himself starting most of United's games that season, either alongside Solskjaer or new signing Teddy Sheringham.
He became the joint top goalscorer in the Premier League during the course of the season with 18, several of which were spectacular efforts. The most notable was perhaps a chip against Everton, which fans voted as the Manchester United goal of the season. Cole also developed a strong partnership withTeddy Sheringham (despite considerable personal friction between the two), but United finished trophyless for only the second time in the 1990s as they surrendered their lead of the Premier League to Arsenal during the final two months of the season.
Cole achieved several personal landmarks in this campaign, scoring his firstEuropean hat-trick for the club in an away match atFeyenoord, as well as ending the season as runner-up in thePFA Players' Player of the Year award to Arsenal'sDennis Bergkamp. Despite this accreditation, and being the leading goalscorer in all competitions that season with 25, Cole was omitted from England's1998 FIFA World Cup squad by national coachGlenn Hoddle.[17] Cole remained upbeat when interviewed and when asked about his new-found return to success, he claimed he had found freedom in his life after the injuries and erratic form of his earlier time at Old Trafford, saying he had great joy with his young son and lived for him and his family in his faith as aborn-again Christian.[citation needed] He also claimed the friendship ofRyan Giggs, his roommate on away matches, was a major motivating factor through the tough times when fans and media doubted him at United.[citation needed]
Cole faced competition from new signingDwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær during the1998–99 season, but ended up developing an immensely successful partnership with Yorke. The two contributed 53 goals between them and were rated as one of the most feared attacking partnerships in Europe, with the pair scoring against sides likeBarcelona away at theCamp Nou, and repeating the form all season with incredible one-touch passes and assists that at times seemed to demonstrate atelepathic understanding. Although Solskjaer still managed to excel on occasions whether as a starting player or a substitute, and Sheringham also managed to do well and score crucial goals when he played.
Cole played a key role in the side's uniquetreble of thePremier League title,FA Cup andUEFA Champions League. Cole scored the winning goal in United's final Premier League match of the season against Tottenham Hotspur, a result which meant United finished one point ahead of rivals Arsenal to win the Premier League title. He also scored United's third and winning goal in their Champions League semi-final second leg againstJuventus, sealing their place in the final. Also in this season, Cole scored his 100th 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 tackle which left 19-year-old Australian defenderSimon Colosimo sidelined for six months and requiring a complete knee reconstruction. Before the injury, Colosimo was one of Australia's best young players and was about to make a big money move to Europe, and was never able to complete a career in Europe, despite a handful of appearances forManchester City.
Cole was United's second top scorer again in1999–2000 with 19 goals in 28Premier League matches. He collected his fourth Premier League title medal in five seasons, and scored over 20 goals in all competitions for the third successive season. Cole scored many goals for United including the only goal of the game in their top-of-the-table clash against their closest rivalsLeeds United. He also joined an elite group during this season by scoring his 100th goal for the club in a 2–2 draw againstWimbledon.
Another title followed in2000–01 when, despite suffering from an injury that restricted his appearances, Cole scored 13 goals in all competitions, including four in theUEFA Champions League, allowing him (at the time) to become Manchester United's record goal scorer in European competition of all time, eclipsing the record set some 30 years earlier byDenis Law.
The following2001–02 season saw Cole face fresh competition from new signingRuud van Nistelrooy, as well as Dwight Yorke, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and alsoPaul Scholes for places up front, with Sir Alex Ferguson adopting a more conservative approach, especially in European matches, by playing Scholes behind Van Nistelrooy withRoy Keane andJuan Sebastián Verón in a three-man midfield. Despite this, Cole managed to score seven goals before leaving for Blackburn Rovers halfway through the season after falling behind to the formidable partnership of Van Nistelrooy and Solskjær, meaning that he was often a substitute during the final months of his United career.
More than five years after his Old Trafford exit, a 35-year-old Cole made one last appearance for Manchester United in theUEFA Celebration Match six years later, on 13 March 2007, coming on at half-time for a friendly match between Manchester United and a European XI, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of theEuropean Community and 50 years of Manchester United in the European Cup.
The arrival of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastián Verón counted against Cole's first-team chances at Man Utd in the 2001–02 season, and on 29 December 2001, Cole was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £8 million.[5] Within two months of arriving, he had collected aLeague Cup winners medal, scoring the winning goal for Blackburn in thefinal against Tottenham Hotspur, who were managed by the former England manager and open critic of Cole, Glenn Hoddle. This victory meant that, in the space of seven seasons, Cole had won all four domestic trophies plus a European trophy. Cole ended the season with a total of 18 goals in all competitions, 5 for Manchester United and 13 in just 20 matches for Blackburn.
Rovers finished sixththe following season and qualified for theUEFA Cup. That campaign 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 in2003–04 season, as Rovers slid into the bottom half of thePremier League, finishing 15th. He scored 11 goals but his relationship with managerGraeme Souness hit rock bottom after Cole reported him to theProfessional Footballers' Association ("PFA") accusing him of unfair treatment. Cole scored 37 goals in 100 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn.[citation needed]
Thirteen years after spending a month on loan at Fulham, Cole returned toCraven Cottage for the2004–05 season, joining them on a one-year contract.[25] He was the club's top scorer and scored one of the goals of the season against Liverpool. Despite this successful period at Fulham, he decided to leave the club after only one season as his family wanted to return to theNorth West.[citation needed]
Cole signed for Manchester City on a free transfer at the beginning of the2005–06 season,[26] and enjoyed a good start to his career atEastlands.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 new contract with Manchester City only months earlier[27] and leaving Fulham in 2005 to return to thenorth, Cole signed for south coast clubPortsmouth on transfer deadline day (31 August 2006) for an undisclosed fee, reported as £500,000 with the potential to rise to £1 million depending on appearances.[28] He scored his first league goal for his new club in the 2–0 win at home to West Ham United on 14 October.[29] However, Cole struggled to break intoHarry Redknapp's side and in March 2007, he signed on loan forBirmingham City of theChampionship until the end of the season.[30] Cole returned to Portsmouth after five appearances and one goal (against Wolverhampton Wanderers)[31] for Birmingham. He was released on 3 August 2007.[32]
After being released by Portsmouth at the end of the2006–07 season, Cole signed a one-year contract withSunderland on a free transfer, reuniting him once more with former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers strike partner Dwight Yorke, and under the management of former United teammate Roy Keane. After seven matches for the club, Cole spent three months on loan atBurnley where he scored six goals for the Championship club, including a hat-trick againstQueens Park Rangers atLoftus Road.[33] Reflecting on his time atTurf Moor, Cole stated, "I went to Burnley and spoke toOwen Coyle and got a great vibe. He brought the best out of me and made me feel a lot younger than my age."[34] Cole was released by Sunderland at the end of the2007–08 season.
On 4 July 2008, Cole signed a 12-month deal withNottingham Forest, his 12th club and his local from his time growing up in Nottingham. However, on 31 October 2008, Forest confirmed Cole's contract had been cancelled by mutual consent after 11 appearances and 0 goals.
On 11 November 2008, Cole announced his retirement from football, ending a 19-year career.[35]
Despite first being capped forEngland in 1995, Cole earned only 15caps by the time he announced his retirement from international football after failing to be selected for the2002 World Cup squad. He scored one goal for England, in a World Cup qualifying match againstAlbania in March 2001.[36] He also scored in his single appearance for theEngland B team.
Glenn Hoddle, in defence of his decision not to select Cole for theWorld Cup in 1998, accused Cole of needing six or seven chances to score one goal.[37]
A persistent toe injury in the lead up toUEFA Euro 2000 led to Cole missing out on another major competition for his country.[38][39]
Cole earned his first four caps under four different managers. He made his debut in a friendly againstUruguay underTerry Venables in March 1995, coming on as a substitute forTeddy Sheringham;[40][41] he appeared next againstItaly under Glenn Hoddle at theTournoi de France in 1997; made his third appearance againstFrance under caretakerHoward Wilkinson in 1999; and finally earned his fourth cap againstPoland under new managerKevin Keegan in his first starting appearance a few weeks later.
In August 2009, Cole was hired by his former Manchester United and England teammate,Milton Keynes Dons managerPaul Ince, to coach the club's forwards on an initially temporary basis.[42] However, one week later, Cole agreed to spend at least two days a week working on finishing with the forwards atHuddersfield Town, under his former Newcastle United and Fulham teammateLee Clark.[43]In December 2010, Cole was back at Manchester United, working at theCarrington training ground while finishing his coaching badges.[44]In October 2019, Cole was named asforward and attack coach assisting manager,Sol Campbell atSouthend United.[45] On 30 June 2020, manager Campbell and his three assistants including Cole left the club by mutual consent.[46]
In 1999, Cole signed to WEA/Warner Music and released a cover ofthe Gap Band's "Outstanding" which reached number 68 on theUK Singles Chart.[47]
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Cole's father, Lincoln, emigrated to the UK from Jamaica in 1957 and worked as a coal miner inGedling, Nottinghamshire, from 1965 to 1987.[48]
Cole married his long-time girlfriend Shirley Dewar in July 2002.[49] Their son,Devante, is also a professional footballer who plays as a forward forLuton Town.
In 2008, Cole was questioned by police after an alleged assault on his wife at their home inAlderley Edge,Cheshire, before being released onbail.[50] Six months later, Cole, through his representative law firmSchillings, wondamages in an action against the owners of theDaily Star fordefamation regarding the publication of material concerning the assault allegations and for harms caused against his family by sensationalist reports.[49]
In April 2016, Cole was named in thePanama Papers.[51]
Cole has condemned racial incidents in football on various occasions. In a CNN interview, Cole said that football's authorities are not doing enough to fight racism in the sport and are content to "sweep it under the carpet".[52] In another interview, he condemned an incident involvingReal Madrid'sVinícius Júnior where a fan racially abused the player. Cole said that the comments from the head ofLa Liga, suggested a permissive attitude towards racism.[53]
In June 2014, Cole sufferedkidney failure after developingfocal segmental glomerulosclerosis.[54] In April 2017, he underwent akidney transplant.[55] His nephew Alexander was the donor.[56]
In 2000, Cole visitedZimbabwe and returned to set up his own charitable foundation, called the Andy Cole Children's Foundation, which helpedAIDSorphans in the country. The charity has since closed down.[57] He has since set up the Andy Cole Fund to raise money forKidney Research UK, after suffering kidney failure in 2015 after contracting an airborne virus.[58][59]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 1990–91 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1991–92 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Fulham (loan) | 1991–92 | Third Division | 13 | 3 | — | — | — | 2[b] | 1 | 15 | 4 | |||
| Bristol City (loan) | 1991–92 | Second Division | 12 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 8 | ||||
| Bristol City | 1992–93 | First Division | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | — | 4[c] | 1 | 37 | 17 | |
| Total | 41 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | — | 4 | 1 | 49 | 25 | |||
| Newcastle United | 1992–93 | First Division | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 12 | ||||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 40 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | — | 45 | 41 | |||
| 1994–95 | Premier League | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3[d] | 4 | — | 27 | 15 | ||
| Total | 70 | 55 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 4 | — | 84 | 68 | |||
| Manchester United | 1994–95 | Premier League | 18 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 12 | ||||
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 34 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | — | 43 | 13 | ||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 20 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[e] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 | |
| 1997–98 | Premier League | 33 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 7[e] | 5 | 1[a] | 0 | 45 | 25 | |
| 1998–99 | Premier League | 32 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10[e] | 5 | 1[a] | 0 | 50 | 24 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 28 | 19 | — | 0 | 0 | 13[e] | 3 | 4[f] | 0 | 45 | 22 | ||
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 19 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10[e] | 4 | 1[a] | 0 | 31 | 13 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 11 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | 4[e] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 5 | ||
| Total | 195 | 93 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 275 | 121 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2001–02 | Premier League | 15 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 20 | 13 | ||
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 34 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 43 | 13 | ||
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 34 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | — | 37 | 11 | ||
| Total | 83 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | — | 100 | 37 | |||
| Fulham | 2004–05 | Premier League | 31 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 13 | ||
| Manchester City | 2005–06 | Premier League | 22 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 10 | ||
| Portsmouth | 2006–07 | Premier League | 18 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 4 | ||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2006–07 | Championship | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Sunderland | 2007–08 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Burnley (loan) | 2007–08 | Championship | 13 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 6 | ||||
| Nottingham Forest | 2008–09 | Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 509 | 229 | 40 | 15 | 26 | 20 | 57 | 23 | 14 | 2 | 646 | 289 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1995 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total | 15 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 April 2001 | Arena Kombëtare,Tirana, Albania |  Albania | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | [61] |
Arsenal
Newcastle United
Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers
England[64]
Individual
Neil Ruddock considered Cole to be the player he most enjoyed playing against. In a candid interview withTalksport, he jokingly referred to the incident that resulted in Cole suffering two broken legs in 1997 as "not big, and not clever", adding "but it was great", and that "I didn't mean to break both of his legs if I'm honest, I only meant to break one".[67]
In 2010, Cole wrote in his column inThe Independent he had "loathed" and "pretty much detested" former Manchester United and England teammateTeddy Sheringham "for 15 years" after Sheringham did not offer to shake Cole's hand as Cole was substituted on for Sheringham to make his England debut in a match against Uruguay at Wembley in 1995.[68]
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