Andy
Cole
- Appearances275
- Total goals121
Any Reds wishing Alex Ferguson had plumped for Nottingham Forest’s Stan Collymore when he went shopping for a new striker in the January 1995 sales were forced to eat their hats over Andy Cole.
An inauspicious start to his Old Trafford career was followed by the most purple of purple patches, in which the Nottingham-born striker banged in a goal every couple of games, a ratio not seen in M16 since the golden age of Denis Law. It was only a matter of time, of course. Form is temporary, class is permanent. Cole had blazed a trail at St James’ Park, scoring an astonishing 68 goals in just 74 matches, including 41 in the 1993/94 league season. Once he was off and running, benefiting from the prompting of Cantona, Giggs and Sharpe, he played like a dream, justifying every penny of his then-record £6.25 million transfer. That first season saw Cole score an astonishing five times in the 9-0 rout of Ipswich Town at Old Trafford – a scoreline that remains an individual and team best in Premiership history. Cole netted 11 league goals on the way to the 1995/96 title, snatched so memorably from the grasp of his old team-mates at Newcastle. Further title success followed in 1996/97, a season disrupted by pneumonia and two broken legs. Though his days appeared numbered with the arrival of Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa for the 1998/99, the truth couldn’t have been more different. Cole and Yorke were dynamite together, scoring 35 goals in the league between them as United stormed unstoppably to the Treble. Yorke’s craft and strength, Cole’s pace and predatory instincts unforgettably combining at Nottingham Forest in February 1999 in an 8-1 win, memorable also for a four-goal substitute cameo from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Though Cole found his United form hard to replicate in an England shirt, there is little doubt he is one of the club’s – and the modern game’s – great strikers. He was still scoring top-flight goals for Manchester City in 2005/06 after spells with Blackburn and Fulham.
Forward
England
15 Oct 1971
10 Jan 1995
22 Jan 1995
v Blackburn (H) League
29 Dec 2001
Film | Watch our documentary, The Impossible Dream, to relive the great campaign in English football history...
Goal of the Day | On Christmas Eve in 1995, Andy Cole scored away to Leeds at Elland Road...
Goal of the Day | On this day in 1998, Andy Cole opened the scoring in our table-topping match against Chelsea...
90 in 20 | On 25 November 1998, Barcelona and United played out an iconic 3-3 draw at the Nou Camp...
Who's in, who's out? Our XI contains iconic stars who didn't perform on the biggest stage of all.
Goal of the Day | On this day in 2000, Andy Cole opened the scoring in our 5-0 win over Southampton at Old Trafford...
The 12th Man | Andy Cole attempts to explain the emotions that everybody felt on that final day in 1998/99...
Andy Cole previews Sunday’s game with former club Newcastle + tells the tale of how he left the Magpies to join United…
Many people feel Andy Cole is underappreciated in Premier League history, but why? Our panel explores that question...
Why are black players still faced with abuse and limited opportunities? Andy demands answers in a powerful interview.
Watch our interview with Andy on Black History Month, Dwight Yorke’s success and more opportunities for black players...
We get Andy and Mickey Thomas's take on the Europa League tie, from Cyprus.
United Daily | Zarah Connolly is in Nicosia to hear the pre-match views of Andy Cole, Mickey Thomas and Ben Thornley...
Former striker Andy Cole is backing our current forward to ‘propel United forward’ this season.
Carrick, Cole, Irwin and van der Gouw share their thoughts on Saturday's fundraising fixture against Liverpool.