I wanted to punch my Man United team-mate before he approached me in nightclub
Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham had a toxic feud at Manchester United before settling their differences
Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole never saw eye to eye(Image: PA)
Manchester United’s success in the late 1990s and early 2000s unfolded against the backdrop of a bitter rivalry between two of their most important players.
It is widely known that Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham failed to see eye to eye during their four years together at United, a spell that included the historic Treble in 1999. Yet fewer people are aware of the deep-seated animosity between the pair that ultimately led to them coming to blows in the tunnel, with Roy Keane, of all people, briefly stepping in as peacemaker.
It all began in 1995, two years before Sheringham moved from Tottenham to Old Trafford. The duo were on England duty, with Cole making his debut off the bench as a substitute for Sheringham in a friendly against Uruguay. The pair were barely acquainted, yet Cole was left feeling slighted when Sheringham rebuffed his offer of a handshake.
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Writing for the Independant in 2010, Cole said: “I don’t even know the bloke, so he can’t have any issue with me. We’re fellow England players, it is my debut and he snubs me. From that moment on, I knew Sheringham was not for me.”
In the same column, Cole admitted he would sooner sit down for a cup of tea with Neil Ruddock – the defender who left him with two broken ankles following a tackle in a reserve match – than with Sheringham. Despite their fractious relationship, the pair forged a remarkable partnership on the pitch.
Cole added: “I never spoke a single word to him. People wonder how on earth we could function like that. [United defender] Gary Pallister once said to me, ‘I know you don’t speak to Teddy and he doesn’t speak to you, but at least you play well together.’ We did, and I wouldn’t ever cast aspersions on Sheringham’s talent as a top-rate footballer for his clubs and country. I’ve just loathed him personally for 15 years.”
The two were more inclined to trade blows than pleasantries. One notorious incident in 1998, following a draw with Bolton, saw Sheringham blame Cole for a goal before a remarkable intervention from Keane.
In his autobiography, Cole wrote: “Teddy turned around, looked me in the eyes and growled, ‘Their goal was your fault.’ What? I scored the equaliser, and now he’s saying that! I run up the tunnel and just as he gets to the dressing room, I’m ready to steam in. I’m screaming all sorts and trying to throw punches, but everyone’s on me, pulling us apart.
“The next thing I know, Roy Keane has me up against the wall and he’s shouting in my face, ‘What the **** are you doing, Coley? Sort yourself out. We’re a team.'”
According to Cole, Keane then turned the aggressor himself. Cole added: “I’m not hearing him, but I calm down, and suddenly Roy is going for Teddy, ripping into him, and it’s our turn to try to pull them apart.
“‘What’s all that about, Skip?’ I ask a clearly incensed Keane. ‘You wanting to fight him reminded me of what a****** he was to me at Nottingham Forest!'”
However, their dispute reached a positive conclusion after an unexpected encounter in a nightclub. Speaking to talkSPORT in 2023, Sheringham said he initially worried about another confrontation before the pair eventually shook hands.
He said: “I thought, ‘Hello, this could turn a bit nasty.’ I don’t know whether he’s going to try and put one on me or what. He walked over and said, ‘Ted, look, let’s let bygones be bygones and forget about what’s happened and move on.’
“He put his hand out and I was like, ‘Wow, I did not expect that Andy.’ But yeah I’m happy to do that, put my hand out and shook hands.”
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