Having spent almost two decades at the top level, Andrew Cole has plenty of fond memories from his playing career. Not that he likes talking about them too much.
Since hanging up his boots, the former Manchester United, Newcastle and England striker has been more concerned with looking forward to new challenges, including launching an innovative lifestyle company and planning for a step into management.
“I hardly ever look back at what I’ve achieved; I kind of get embarrassed talking about it. I don’t know if it’s a bad thing or a good thing but when someone asks me a question about it all I try to talk about something else.
“What I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed my career and I gave it 100 per cent, but you can’t live in the past; you’ve got to try and move forward.”
Cole is certainly doing that. A hectic schedule means the 38-year-old now combines family life with a part-time coaching role at Huddersfield Town, while also trying his hand as a media pundit, helping to develop his new lifestyle company and being an ambassador for England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Filling the void left following his retirement from the game in November 2008 has definitely not been troublesome for Cole, who won five Premier League titles, two FA Cup winner’s medals and the Champions League during six years at United.
He is now a regular in the stands at Old Trafford, despite the fact that he went on to play for a total of eight other clubs after leaving United, including Blackburn, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sunderland and Burnley.
Cole says: “When you come out of football the first year is always going to be the hardest. I think for the majority of ex-footballers that first year of not doing certain things at certain times is difficult.
“Fortunately for me, I’ve never found it hard. I’ve not missed it as much as I really thought I would. I think that’s a good thing because if you come out of football and you miss it, you’re going to start pulling your hair out as you don’t know what you’re going to do. I’m still driven to get up in the morning. Nothing has really changed - you’re just making life adjustments.”
After working under renowned and respected tacticians like Sir Alex Ferguson and Kevin Keegan, the former England man - who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 1994 - has gained a unique insight into the trials and tribulations of management.
Until his big break materialises, though, Cole is content learning the ropes under former Newcastle teammate Lee Clark, who is in charge of League One promotion hopefuls Huddersfield. And he is also pursuing plenty of other ventures.
“The England World Cup bid ambassador role came along and that is a fantastic thing to be a part of. I didn’t have the best of England careers, but I didn’t think twice about getting involved in it when the Football Association approached me.
“Then there is Limelight Access, the lifestyle company I’m involved in. That offered me a chance to get involved in something different, so that was a great opportunity.
“And Lee Clark gave me the chance to go in to Huddersfield two days a week to do some coaching. That’s given me a good understanding of what coaching and management is all about. But you get to a stage when you say to yourself, ‘now my next natural progression is something more permanent’. I enjoy it, but maybe it’s got to be time for me to take the next step.”Article supplied courtesy of Players’ Club – the official magazine of the PFA.
