When explaining his decision to exclude Andy Cole from his 1998 World Cup squad, England manager Glenn Hoddle questioned just how clinical the centre-forward was in front of goal. Indeed, Hoddle suggested that Cole needed five opportunities to score one goal.
There were many people that took Hoddle's viewpoint as gospel, but scratch the surface a little and it becomes clear that throughout his career, Cole made a mockery of that opinion.
When he retired following a brief stint with Nottingham Forest in 2008, he did so having scored 187 Premier League goals - only Alan Shearer on 260 has more. Yet, 56 of Shearer's goals came from the penalty spot, while just one of Cole's was scored from 12 yards, which means that he actually has a better goals-to-games ratio in open play than the Newcastle United legend.
Longevity was another quality that Cole possessed, just as he showed when Portsmouth took on West Ham United at Fratton Park eight years ago today.
Prior to joining Pompey at the start of the 2006-07 season, 34-year-old Cole had scored Premier League goals for Newcastle, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and Manchester City.
The striker had failed to score during his first two outings for Harry Redknapp's side, but when he came off the bench against the Hammers, it took him just five minutes to find the back of the net. He combined with Matt Taylor, before holding off the attention of Jonathan Spector to fire his shot beyond the reach of Roy Carroll.
It was not only a goal that sealed all three points for the hosts, who were already 1-0 in front thanks to Kanu's early effort, it also made Cole just the second player in Premier League history to have scored for six different clubs.
Only Les Ferdinand had reached that landmark when he netted for Bolton Wanderers the previous season, having also scored for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Leicester City.
Speaking after his goal against the Hammers, Cole revealed that he was eager to score 200 goals in the top flight: "Only Alan Shearer has ever done that. If I get 200 goals it will be etched in history. It will be there in black and white and nobody could take that away from me."
Meanwhile, his manager Redknapp paid tribute, by saying: "You watch him in training, practising his shooting and he will stay out there after all the others have gone, still doing it. He's a lovely finisher."
Cole would end up not reaching his target as he scored just two more goals for Pompey, before his career wound down with stints at Birmingham City, Sunderland, Burnley and Forest.
PORTSMOUTH: James; Johnson, Primus, Campbell, Stefanovic; O'Neil, Mendes, Fernandes, Taylor; Mwaruwari (Cole), Kanu (LuaLua)
WEST HAM: Carroll; Spector, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Konchesky; Benayoun (Mascherano), Reo-Coker, Mullins, Etherington; Zamora (Harewood), Sheringham (Cole)
No Data Analysis info
