Last week Andrew Cole announced his retirement from football, after a highly successful career spanning 1 years plus. Cole will be regarded as a top finisher, a world-class striker and a great black footballer along with other greats such as John Barnes. He boasts many winners medals and was part of the historic treble winning Manchester United team. He is one of the premier leagues all time top scorers, and in one season for Newcastle United, scored 40 goals in one season. He also has scored the most goals in a premier league match- 5 in a 9-0 victory. You would think that such a prolific player would have an impressive international career to match- wrong.
Cole, like many other great English players, never replicated his club form for his country. Was he given a fair shot? Well, at the time in the peak of his career, England had Alan Shearer- a genuinely great player who would be hard to displace from the set up. But whether Cole was given a fair shot is debatable. While you could argue that you have to take your chances, it can also be argued that a fair run to prove yourself should be given. Could England have benefited from using Andy Cole more? I think so, but Cole isn’t the only footballer of his era to be overlooked. Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand are a few more. But their goals, professionalism, and role model acumen have not gone un-noticed by me. I salute all the great black footballers who never got their deserved international playing career. If not for you, we may not be witnessing such young talent as the Theo Walcotts, Jermaine Defoes, Gabby Agbonlahors.
Cole, like many other great English players, never replicated his club form for his country. Was he given a fair shot? Well, at the time in the peak of his career, England had Alan Shearer- a genuinely great player who would be hard to displace from the set up. But whether Cole was given a fair shot is debatable. While you could argue that you have to take your chances, it can also be argued that a fair run to prove yourself should be given. Could England have benefited from using Andy Cole more? I think so, but Cole isn’t the only footballer of his era to be overlooked. Ian Wright, Les Ferdinand are a few more. But their goals, professionalism, and role model acumen have not gone un-noticed by me. I salute all the great black footballers who never got their deserved international playing career. If not for you, we may not be witnessing such young talent as the Theo Walcotts, Jermaine Defoes, Gabby Agbonlahors.
