This day in football history

On 15 October 1971, striker Andy Cole was born in Nottingham, England. He went on the become the third highest goalscorer in Premier League history.

Cole began his professional career in 1989 with Arsenal, but played for a total of 12 clubs before his retirement in 2008. He stayed the longest at Manchester United where he scored 93 goals in 195 league appearances between 1995 and 2001. While there, he won five league titles, two FA Cups, and the Champions League.

A prolific scorer, his best season was with Newcastle United in 1993–94, when his 34 goals made him the league’s Golden Boot winner.

Cole left Old Trafford in December 2001 for Blackburn and won the League Cup the following season. After spells at a number of other clubs in England, he ended his career with Nottingham Forest in October 2008. Along the way, he tallied 187 Premier League goals, behind only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (194).

In 2000, several press outlets reported that Cole had asked to be called by his full first name, “Andrew,” rather than the shortened “Andy,” prompting a surprisingly vigorous discussion. He later claimed, however, that he had been misquoted and had instead just answered a reporter’s question about what his full name was.