“I’D NEVER WORKED On MY PARTNERSHIP WITH DWIGHT YORKE DURING TRAINING – THINGS JUST CLICKED”

After departing Newcastle under a shroud of secrecy, the frontman moved to Manchester United and formed a devastating double act

Firstly, do you prefer Andy or Andrew?

I don’t mind either.

You were a youth- team player at Arsenal but made only one league appearance for the Gunners. Why did you leave?

It just didn’t work out. I believed I was good enough to play for Arsenal at the time. The manager didn’t think I was good enough so I went out on loan, first to Fulham and then Bristol City. Then they chose to move me on. It was disappointing, but things worked out for me in a way I didn’t believe they would – my career blossomed after that.

Was there a personality clash with Arsenal boss George Graham?

It could have been that – I had a personality clash with a lot of people during my career. Sometimes in football it just happens. At the time, there were quite a few centre- forwards who George felt were better than me. I left, and that was definitely the thing that turned my career around and helped me to achieve what I achieved. It wasn’t a case of proving George wrong, it was a case of me proving to myself that I could play at the highest level.

You helped Newcastle to promotion and then won the Premier League Golden Boot in 1993- 94, before your dramatic move to Manchester United…

Yeah, it was a dramatic deal and people still talk about it now – just the way it came out. No one knew about the transfer until Kevin Keegan went out onto the steps at St James’

Park and said I was off to Manchester United. These days, everyone knows about a month in advance if a player is leaving.

What did you make of the announcement?

It was Kevin being Kevin. He was a messiah at Newcastle, the supporters loved him and naturally they were disappointed that he’d sold me. They weren’t sure if a signing was coming in, or what Kevin was planning to do. But he genuinely believed he was doing the best thing for the club, and they got a player in Keith Gillespie. I remember Kevin saying to me, “You’ll move on to a great football club and have the chance to go and win things.” He was spot on there.

Apparently the move was so secretive that Lee Clark only found out when you didn’t pick him up for training the next morning?

Yeah, Clarky’s my boy, but I couldn’t tell him anything. We were neighbours – we lived in the same block, so I snuck out that evening. He wasn’t even aware I’d left the apartment, and I was on my way to Manchester. Clarky phoned me the next day asking if it was true. I had to explain to him that it was.

How did the deal happen?

I knew Manchester United were interested in me, because I got in the England squad a couple of times and the United players said Alex Ferguson liked me as a player and would love me to come to Old Trafford. But at that stage I thought, “Nah, there’s no chance that Newcastle would sell me.” When it actually happened I was at home, just about to watch Sheffield United play Manchester United in the FA Cup, when I got a call to say the deal was done.

You played upfront with Dwight Yorke at three clubs. Was that a relationship which developed, or did you click immediately?

People have this mad perception that I don’t get on with anyone, and that’s just so false. When Dwight joined United from Aston Villa, I was the first person to show him around. I invited him to my house, went round to his for dinner, showed him around Manchester, and did everything possible to make him feel welcome. He played upfront with Scholesy, Giggsy, Sheringham or Solskjaer, and I hardly had an opportunity to play a game with him until we beat Southampton 3- 0 at The Dell. The partnership just clicked. It wasn’t a case of working on it in training, because we were never in the same team. It was meant to be.

And was your relationship just as good at Blackburn from 2002- 04?

That would never ever change. We’ll remain friends for the rest of our lives.

There was an infamous incident between Dwight and manager Graeme Souness at Blackburn. What happened?

The kind of thing that sometimes happens in training. The gaffer went in for a slide tackle, and Dwight wasn’t particularly happy with it. Dwight then had the chance to put in a slide tackle, he did that on the gaffer, and Graeme wasn’t particularly happy with it. There were a few raised voices, and that was that.

You underwent a kidney transplant three years ago. How are you doing now?

There are good days and bad days. It has changed my life, and I’ve realised that when you need support, people who want to be around you are more than willing to step up and show their true colours. And then some don’t step up, because they don’t want to see you through the battle. That’s life. I try not to get too frustrated about the situation I find myself in, and there are days which make me happy to be alive.

How have you stayed involved in football?

I do ambassadorial work for Man United, and I’ve done some coaching at Southend with Sol Campbell. It’s nice to be out on the grass, getting involved in all the banter – when you retire, that’s what you miss most.

Where would you rank yourself among the Premier League’s greatest- ever strikers?

I’m not that self- centred to say I should be at X, Y or Z. All I did was play football to the best of my ability, and got a few goals. But I look at myself and say, “I did all right.”

Andy Cole was speaking from Marriott Hotels’ Seat of Dreams at Old Trafford