After starting his career with Arsenal with spells at Fulham and Bristol City, Cole made his name at Newcastle United where he scored 55 goals in 70 appearances

He then joined Manchester United in 1995. An incredible 9-0 win over Ipswich saw Cole score five goals

In the 1994/95 season, United missed out on winning the Premier League title after a 1-1 draw with West Ham handed Blackburn Rovers the title

In May 1996, Cole scored against Middlesbrough to help United win 3-0. The victory meant United were crowned league champions

In 1998, Cole was joined at Old Trafford by Dwight Yorke. The two would go on to form one of the most fruitful partnerships in the league's history

In an international career spanning between 1995-2002, Cole made 15 appearances for England, scoring once

Cole scored a crucial goal against Juventus in the Champions League semi-final second leg, to ensure United's passage to the final

On the final day of the 1998/99 season, Cole scored against Tottenham to ensure United finished a point above title rivals Arsenal

As the 1999 season draw to a dramatic climax, Cole and Yorke celebrate their first of three pieces of major silverware

He was also part of the FA Cup winning team of the same season

The domestic double was followed by Champions League final victory, to complete an historic treble

Although unable to match the heights of the previous season, United enjoyed Premier League supremacy in 2000

In 2001, Cole and United claimed their third successive Premier League trophy

Cole was sold to Blackburn Rovers in 2001, where he continued to enjoy trophy success. He scored the winner in the League Cup final against Tottenham

At Rovers, he was reunited with his United strike partner Dwight Yorke

13 years after spending one month on loan at Fulham, Cole returned to Craven Cottage for the 2004-05 season joining them on a one-year contract, becoming their top scorer for that season

Cole left Fulham to join Manchester City where he spent one season, after which he joined Portsmouth and had a short spell at Birmingham City

Cole joined former team-mate Roy Keane at Sunderland in time for the start of the 2008/08 season. He was reunited with strike partner Dwight Yorke for the third and final time

When opportunities at Sunderland became limited, he moved to Burnley on loan in January 2008

Cole made his final move to Nottingham Forest, where he made 10 appearances before calling time on his playing career on 11th November 2008