Manchester United treble hero Andy Cole has publicly detailed the bitter personal feud with former teammate Teddy Sheringham that festered for years, pinpointing three key incidents that led to a complete communication breakdown.
The England Snub That Lit the Fuse
Cole, now 54, has explained that the animosity began during an England international match where he was set to make his senior debut. The striker expected a customary gesture of respect from Sheringham, who was being substituted, but was met with a cold shoulder.
"He just snubbed me on the line," Cole stated on the In The Mixer podcast. "Straight away, my head just falls off." He described how significant a debut is for any player and felt deeply disrespected by Sheringham's action, which immediately poisoned their relationship.
Old Trafford Tensions Boil Over
The situation worsened when Sheringham signed for Manchester United in 1997, joining Cole at Old Trafford. Cole recalled his immediate apprehension, thinking "problems, problems" upon hearing the news.
The first day of training saw their United teammates jokingly label them as best friends, adding to the awkwardness. The tension escalated during a pre-season tour, likely in Milan, when Sheringham made a comment about Cole's understanding of the United way of playing. "I'm like, 'Do you know how long I've been at Man United now? I think I know how to play,'" Cole recounted, describing this as the moment the "time bomb" was set.
The Dressing Room Explosion
The final rupture occurred after a 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers. Sheringham blamed Cole for the conceded goal, triggering an explosive reaction. "I lost it. Proper lost it," Cole admitted.
He stormed down the tunnel, unusually the first player off the pitch, and waited for Sheringham in the dressing room where a major confrontation ensued. The clash was so severe that manager Sir Alex Ferguson intervened. "He said, 'This can't go on. I know you two don't get on, but I can't condone that in the dressing room,'" Cole revealed.
That managerial warning marked the end of any civil discourse. "I never had another conversation with Sheringham" for the remainder of their time as teammates at Manchester United, a period during which they famously won the historic 1999 treble and five Premier League titles together.
A Late Reconciliation
Despite the years of silence, Sheringham has claimed the pair have since buried the hatchet. A chance meeting at a nightclub in 2019 saw Cole extend an olive branch, and the two former strikers are now reported to be on cordial terms, finally closing a chapter on one of football's most famous fall-outs.
