Andy Cole has admitted that he has told one Manchester United legend his true feelings about one key moment in his prolific playing spell at Old Trafford.
The 52-year-old former Manchester United and England striker captured five Premier League titles, a Champions League and two FA Cups with the Red Devils.
Signed from Newcastle in 1995, Andy Cole thrived under former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and scored 121 times in 275 appearances for the Red Devils.
Cole was a leading attacking option in Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary teams of the past and shared a remarkable partnership with United legend Dwight Yorke.
Both Dwight Yorke and Cole established themselves as Ferguson’s key strike partnership and the duo were integral to United’s 1998-99 treble-winning season.
Cole’s praise for Man Utd legend
Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson became the first manager in history to lead an English team to a continental treble in 1999.
The Red Devils completed the first stage of their famous treble win by narrowly edging out Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
United played Tottenham on the final day of the 1998-99 Premier League season and were stunned when Les Ferdinand put Spurs ahead at Old Trafford.
However, Ferguson’s men rallied back into the contest after David Beckham produced an equaliser for United before half-time.
Andy Cole then fired United into the lead early in the second half after he was picked out by a superb cross from Gary Neville.
The United striker rushed into the box and plucked Neville’s cross out of the air before expertly controlling the ball and producing a chipped finish over Ian Walker.
Cole has revealed that he is “always telling” Neville that his assist against Tottenham was the “best ball that he ever played” into him during his time at United.
“Before I answer that, I’m always telling Gary that his pass that day was the best ball that he ever played into me and it was such a wild pass that it is still around my neck, you know [laughs],” he told the World Football Index.
“However, in all seriousness, playing a part in what the team achieved in 1999 is an experience that I will never forget and it is something that I’ll never get tired of being asked or talking about because the feelings that winning the Treble brought are just so hard to explain.”
Cole on Man Utd treble win
United’s 2-1 win over Tottenham at Old Trafford put the Red Devils one point clear of Arsenal in the Premier League title race on the final day of the season.
Ferguson’s side went on to beat Newcastle 2-0 in the FA Cup final before their sensational 2-1 comeback win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Cole has insisted that United’s memorable treble win “will always” be seen as the “better treble season” than Manchester City’s feat in the 2022-23 season.
“We felt on top of the world because we had made history for Manchester United and for English football as being the first side to ever win the treble,” he continued.
“It was an amazing achievement. People will now point to the fact that Manchester City have now equalled that achievement and fair play to them but you cannot be greater than the first team to have achieved something of that magnitude so, for me, our treble season will always go down as the better treble season without any doubt.”
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