Newcastle United legend hits back at 'nonsense' over time at St James Park

Former Newcastle United striker Andrew Cole has opened up on his two-year stay at St James Park and hit back at suggestions he was unhappy during his time on Tyneside.

The former Arsenal youth product was viewed as a key signing by former Magpies boss Kevin Keegan during the second half of the 1992/93 as he looked to end United’s five-year absence from the top tier of the English game. After making a club record £1.75m move to Tyneside from Division One (now The Championship) rivals Bristol City, Cole scored 12 goals in as many games to help Keegan’s side claim promotion and the momentum gained during the run-in spilled into their arrival into the Premier League.

After grabbing his first top flight goal in a 1-1 draw at Manchester United, Cole went on to score 34 league goals and bagged a further seven in other competitions to break a long-standing club record for the most goals scored in a season that had been jointly held by Magpies legends Hughie Gallagher and George Robledo. Despite ongoing speculation suggesting Cole was unhappy with life on Tyneside, there was still a seismic shock when the striker was sold to Manchester United in a £7m deal that saw Red Devils winger Keith Gillespie move in the opposite direction.

Cole went on to enjoy major success at Old Trafford before going on to score goals for the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and Manchester City before bringing down the curtain on a goal-laden career in 2008. Reflecting on his time at Newcastle during an interview with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Cole stressed he enjoyed his time at St James Park - but conceded the ‘adulation’ he received from Magpies supporters was overwhelming as that stage in his career.

When asked where he was happiest during his career by Magpies legend Shearer, Cole told The Rest is Football podcast: “I loved my time at Manchester United but I would never take away from the fact I enjoyed a great time at Newcastle - regardless of all the nonsense people have said, I enjoyed it. (People saying) I wasn’t happy there and the adulation for me, I was like this is crazy, I only play football. However you look at it, I only play football, I’m no different to anybody else.

“I remember when I first went to Newcastle I remember Clarky (Lee Clark) saying what it was going to be like and I was saying it can’t be that bad, surely not. Wow, it was crazy. I’d go away for the weekend, I’d come back home and my neighbours would knock on the door saying ‘oh Mr Cole, your house is ok, do you need any milk or anything like that?’.I’d only gone away for the weekend. I’m a young man, trying to find my way in the game and I thought this is a bit too much for me, this adulation and stuff, but as you get older, you get used to this stuff. But being at Newcastle is totally different.”