The then 30-year-old had rejected the pecking order at Manchester United after the arrival of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and looked for new pastures after a seven-year stay at Old Trafford
Cole said at a press conference the day he signed, “It was a big decision. When you leave a club like Manchester United, it will always be a big decision
“I’m 30 and it’s very important that I play football for the next few years. That’s all I want to do. I don’t like being on the bench
“I’m really looking forward to playing here. I had a long talk with the manager and what he was up to at the club and that was my decision”
Graeme Souness’s team struggled in the Premier League but eventually recovered and finished tenth She won the League Cup, with Cole scoring 13 goals in 20 games
One of them was the league cup final winner against Tottenham, presided over by Glenn Hoddle, a prominent critic of Cole
Despite his good form, Cole was not selected for the English squad for the 2002 World Cup and subsequently announced his international retirement
Cole scored 13 goals the following season when Blackburn finished sixth and was reunited with former United strike partner Dwight Yorke
He finished the 2003-04 season as Rovers’ top scorer with eleven goals, but the club struggled and Cole’s relationship with Souness deteriorated to the point where the striker reported his manager to the Professional Football Association and accused him of unfair treatment
Cole made a free transfer for Fulham this summer after 37 goals in 100 games for Blackburn
Souness, who branded Cole and Yorke as “babies,” said, “It’s no secret that Cole and I disagreed on how I wanted to play football, and I think it was for the best for all of that he went ”
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Andy Cole
World News – GB – On This Day 2001: Andy Cole moves from Man Utd to Blackburn
Source: https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2020/december/on-this-day-2001-andy-cole-makes-p8million-move-to-blackburn-from-man-utd
