Planet Sport

The goal-machine called Andrew Cole finally hung up his boots during 2008 after a club career that scaled the heights.

187 Premier League goals tells us all we need to know about the second most prolific goal-scorer to play in the English Premier League. What makes this tally even more impressive is that just one of these goals was from the penalty spot.

There were many magnificent moments in a career that started with Arsenal back in the 1990-91 season. There was the lovely chip that secured Manchester United the League title in their Treble season; the prolific partnership with Teddy Sheringham; the five-goal haul in a single game against Ipswich; the dramatic transfer from Newcastle to Manchester United; his 34-goal season for Newcastle as they chased the dream under Kevin Keegan; or the hat-trick against Liverpool that so tainted the legacy of Bruce Grobbelaar; or even the goal that won Blackburn Rovers the Carling Cup in 2004.

Renowned as a surly character who was difficult to get on with, Nottingham-born Cole retired amidst some public acrimony from his home town Nottingham Forest earlier this year. This surly reputation, and the fact that never quite shone on the International stage put question marks over his career, but his exploits particularly at Newcastle and Manchester United mark him down as one of the great club players of the modern generation.

Of his lack of International appearances, Cole recognised that he was up against a National icon; "Alan Shearer was a great centre-forward, it doesn't matter how you look at it. He's one of the best the English game has ever had. At that moment in time he was the number one striker for England and he was that because he was scoring goals."

Andrew Cole's own penalty-box reactions were razor-sharp and a career-tally of 228 goals in 499 games are testament to that. Predominantly right footed, Cole was also deceptively good in the air, and wasn't so proud that he wouldn't try to score with any part of his anatomy.

Having been sold from Arsenal after just one League appearance (surely Arsene Wenger wouldn't have allowed him to leave), "Andy" Cole first came to attention at Bristol City. The youngster benefitted from the personal attention from then City-boss, Denis Smith:

"I really enjoyed my time there. I played under Denis Smith, a tough tackling old centre-half - and he used to do a bit of that in training as well. I enjoyed it because I played with some experienced players like Leroy Rosenior, Wayne Allison and 'Jacki' Dziekanowski who used to play for Celtic. What a player he was!"

Twenty goals in a productive season at Ashton Gate alerted his potential to many of the newly-rich Premiership Clubs.

Newcastle, in the North-East of England, is a city with a history as a port trading in coal. The phrase, if not the spelling of, ‘taking coals to Newcastle' fitted perfectly when Newcastle United splashed out a then-club record of US$ 3.5 million. What good business it turned out to be. Despite his later successes with Manchester United, Cole enjoyed his most productive time as a professional in a wonderful spell at St. James' Park as the fulcrum of Keegan's attack-minded side.

Ironically, the fact that he scored so many goals (68 in 84 games) was the reason Keegan sold him. Newcastle had become so reliant of the Cole goals that they were in danger of becoming one-dimensional. It set up the incredible scene of Cole being traded to Manchester United for US$ 9 million, plus Keith Gillespie going the opposite way, while Keegan had to defend his actions to irate fans on the steps of the ground.

It's still a debate as to whether or not the move was good for Newcastle. While they lost a man who scored on 81% of his appearances, Newcastle would go on to have their best-ever season in a memorable 1995-96 campaign when they led the League by 12 points at one stage - playing an exciting brand of attacking football. That, though, was as good as it would get, and United - with Cole - were the team who won the title that year. Cole was to enjoy remarkable success at Old Trafford. Whilst Newcastle were destined never to win the Premier League, Andrew Alexander Cole did. Five times.

In an era when clubs suddenly had to have big squads, and four strikers, Cole had to establish himself in a squad that also boasted Sheringham, Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Eventually he did establish himself - but it wasn't straight-forward. Cole was the supposed make-weight in United's efforts to persuade Alan Shearer to move from Blackburn Rovers, and he had to recover after suffering two broken legs. He really arrived with an 18-goal haul in 1997-98.

A golden period was to follow with the only down-side being a lack of progress on the International front. No England manager really seemed to rate a player who won five Premier League titles, two FA Cup medals and, memorably, the UEFA Champions League on that incredible night in May 1999. Cole though, insists that "I have no regrets with England at all, none whatsoever."

His United career took a downward dip after the arrival of Ruud van Nistelrooy - but not so bad that it stopped him winning trophies as he helped Blackburn to the 2002 Carling Cup.

Post 2002, Cole's reputation as a great scorer was enhanced by two good spells with Fulham, then under Stuart Pearce at Manchester City before his career trailed off to a less-than-glorious ending with spells at Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sunderland, Burnley and Nottingham Forest.

So, what is the final verdict on Mr. Cole? Difficult, under-rated and often un-appreciated, English football has seen the end of one of its greatest-ever goal scorers. You don't survive eight years at Old Trafford without being pretty special; nor did any black player pre-Cole earn the affection of the Geordies at Newcastle. The overall stats themselves are impressive, the longevity remarkable, and the impact Cole made on the Premier league unmistakable.