Andy Cole facts for kids
Cole in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andrew Alexander Cole | ||
| Date of birth | 15 October 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | 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 a famous English former footballer. He played as a striker for many years. Andy Cole is best known for his time with Manchester United. He joined them for a record transfer fee from Newcastle United.
During his six years at Manchester United, Cole won nine major trophies. These included five Premier League titles. He was also part of the team that won the amazing "Treble" in 1999. This meant winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League all in one season.
Andy Cole also played for other top English clubs like Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, and Manchester City. He is the fourth-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 187 goals. He once held records for most goals in a 42-game Premier League season (34). He was also the fastest player to score 50 goals (in 65 matches).
Cole has won every major team competition in English football. He also won the top European competition, the UEFA Champions League. He was named PFA Young Player of the Year once. He played 15 times for the England national team between 1995 and 2001.
Contents
Andy Cole's Football Journey
Starting His Career
Andy Cole began his football journey as a young player at Arsenal in 1988. He became a professional player in 1989. He made his first league appearance for Arsenal when he was 19. This was in a match against Sheffield United in December 1990. Arsenal won, but Cole did not score.
He also played as a substitute in the Charity Shield in 1991. After this, Cole was loaned to Fulham in the Third Division. He scored three goals in 13 games there.
In March 1992, Cole joined Bristol City on loan. He then signed a permanent deal for £500,000 in the summer of 1992. This made him Bristol City's most expensive player at the time. He quickly showed he was a great goalscorer.
Shining at Newcastle United
In February 1993, Newcastle United bought Cole for £1.75 million. This was a new club record for them. He scored 12 goals in just 12 league matches. Newcastle then won the Division One title and moved up to the Premier League. He even scored two hat-tricks during this time.
For the 1993–94 Premier League season, Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan paired Cole with Peter Beardsley. Cole scored an amazing 34 goals in 40 matches. Newcastle finished third, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup. His first Premier League goal was against Manchester United in August 1993. He scored all three goals in a 3-0 win against Liverpool later that year.
Cole scored 41 goals in all competitions that season. This broke a club record that had stood for nearly 70 years. He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year for his fantastic performance. In the 1994–95 season, he scored 9 goals in 18 Premier League matches for Newcastle. He also scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Cup. In total, Cole scored 68 goals in 84 games for Newcastle.
Becoming a Manchester United Legend
On 10 January 1995, Andy Cole made a surprising move to Manchester United. The deal was worth £7 million, which was a new record for a British transfer. Newcastle fans were very sad to see him go.
Even though he joined halfway through the 1994–95 season, Cole scored 12 goals in 18 Premier League matches for United. He scored five goals in one game against Ipswich Town, making him the first player to do so in a Premier League match. However, Manchester United narrowly missed out on the league title that season.
The 1995–96 season was tough for Cole at first. He scored 14 goals, but fans and critics often pointed out missed chances. However, he improved towards the end of the season. He scored important goals, including one in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. United won the Premier League title and the FA Cup, completing their second "Double."
Before the 1996–97 season, Cole was offered as part of a deal to sign Alan Shearer. But the deal didn't happen, and Cole stayed. He was given the number 9 shirt. He suffered two broken legs in a reserve match but recovered by December 1996. He scored crucial goals in the league and the UEFA Champions League.
For the 1997–98 season, Cole became the main striker again. He scored 18 goals in the Premier League, making him the joint top scorer. He formed a strong partnership with Teddy Sheringham. Fans voted his chip goal against Everton as Manchester United's goal of the season. He was also runner-up for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award.
In the 1998–99 season, Cole formed an amazing partnership with Dwight Yorke. They scored 53 goals together and were known as one of Europe's best attacking duos. They had an incredible understanding on the field. Cole played a key role in United winning the historic "Treble" that season. He scored the winning goal in the final Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. He also scored the winning goal in the Champions League semi-final against Juventus.
Cole was United's second top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 19 goals. He won his fourth Premier League title medal. He also scored his 100th goal for the club. Another title followed in the 2000–01 season. Cole scored 13 goals, including four in the UEFA Champions League. This made him Manchester United's record goal scorer in European competitions at the time.
In the 2001–02 season, new striker Ruud van Nistelrooy arrived. Cole found himself playing less often. He scored seven goals before leaving for Blackburn Rovers.
Time at Blackburn Rovers
On 29 December 2001, Cole moved to Blackburn Rovers for £8 million. Within two months, he won the League Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final against Tottenham Hotspur. This meant he had won all four domestic trophies and a European trophy. He ended the season with 18 goals in total.
In the following season, Cole was reunited with his former Manchester United partner, Dwight Yorke. Blackburn finished sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Cole scored 37 goals in 100 appearances for Blackburn.
Later Career and Retirement
After Blackburn, Cole returned to Fulham for the 2004–05 season. He was their top scorer. He then signed for Manchester City in the 2005–06 season. His season ended early due to injury.
In August 2006, Cole joined Portsmouth. He struggled to get into the team there. In March 2007, he went on loan to Birmingham City. He scored one goal in five games for them.
After being released by Portsmouth, Cole signed with Sunderland in 2007. He played alongside Dwight Yorke again. He then spent three months on loan at Burnley, scoring six goals.
On 4 July 2008, Cole signed with Nottingham Forest, his local club. However, his contract was cancelled in October 2008 after 11 games with no goals.
On 11 November 2008, Andy Cole announced his retirement from football. He ended a 19-year career.
Playing for England
Andy Cole played for the England national team 15 times between 1995 and 2001. He scored one goal for England. This goal was in a World Cup qualifying match against Albania in March 2001. He also scored in his only game for the England B team.
He missed out on the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad. He also missed UEFA Euro 2000 due to a toe injury.
Coaching Career
After retiring, Andy Cole moved into coaching. In August 2009, he was hired by Milton Keynes Dons to coach their forwards. He also worked with forwards at Huddersfield Town.
In December 2010, Cole returned to Manchester United to work on his coaching badges. In October 2019, he became a forward and attack coach for Southend United. He left the club in June 2020.
Music Career
In 1999, Andy Cole released a song called "Outstanding." It reached number 68 on the UK Singles Chart.
Personal Life and Health
Andy Cole's father, Lincoln, moved to the UK from Jamaica in 1957. He worked as a coal miner.
Cole married Shirley Dewar in July 2002. Their son, Devante, is also a professional footballer.
Cole has spoken out against racism in football. He believes that football authorities need to do more to fight it.
In June 2014, Cole suffered kidney failure. In April 2017, he had a kidney transplant. His nephew, Alexander, was the donor.
Charity Work
In 2000, Andy Cole started his own charity, the Andy Cole Children's Foundation. It helped children in Zimbabwe. The charity has since closed. After his kidney issues, he set up the Andy Cole Fund to raise money for Kidney Research UK.
Honours and Awards
Andy Cole won many trophies and awards during his career:
Arsenal
- FA Charity Shield: 1991 (shared)
Newcastle United
- Football League First Division: 1992–93
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01
- FA Cup: 1995–96, 1998–99
- FA Charity Shield: 1997
- UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
Blackburn Rovers
- Football League Cup: 2001–02
England
- Tournoi de France: 1997
Individual Awards
- Premier League Golden Boot: 1993–94 (top scorer)
- PFA Young Player of the Year: 1993–94
- Premier League Hall of Fame: 2024
- Newcastle United Player of the Year: 1993–94
- Premier League Player of the Month: November 1997
- PFA Team of the Year: 1999–2000 Premier League
Images for kids
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Cole representing Manchester United in Tokyo, March 2014
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See also
In Spanish: Andy Cole para niños
