In the realm of professional football, the story of Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham’s two-decade-long estrangement traces back to a seemingly innocuous incident – a handshake refusal. This single occurrence effectively severed their communication for twenty years, fostering an air of animosity that persisted even during their shared tenure at Manchester United.
Having played together in 99 matches throughout their professional careers, the renowned strikers only collaborated on scoring ten goals in over 5,000 minutes of shared playtime. A portion of this discord likely stemmed from off-field discontent.
Despite four seasons together at Manchester United and nearly a decade representing the English national team, they couldn’t shake off the enmity between them. Their relationship remained cold and distant, devoid of any meaningful interaction, despite their cooperation on the field.
The genesis of this rift can be traced back to a minor incident on March 29, 1995. It was a pivotal day for Andy Cole as he made his debut for the English national team. In the 71st minute of a friendly match against Uruguay at Wembley, manager Terry Venables substituted Sheringham for Cole. However, Cole’s anticipation of a simple handshake or words of encouragement from Sheringham was met with disdainful disregard.
“I was ready to step onto the field. The atmosphere was electric with around 60,000 spectators. Sheringham was walking off. I expected a brief handshake, a word of encouragement like ‘Good luck, Coley’ or something. I raised my hand ready to shake his,” Cole recounted to The Independent in 2010. “But Sheringham brushed me off as if I didn’t exist in front of him. I was snubbed cruelly. I didn’t understand why he did that. I didn’t even know Sheringham; it was my first time on the England team. I had no issues with him. We’re both English, my debut was ruined from that moment.”
“You know what it felt like for me then? My God, 60,000 people at Wembley just witnessed Sheringham do that to me. I felt humiliated. I wasn’t in the mood to play anymore. Being snubbed when you have your England debut and as a young player, you understand that feeling. That terrible feeling never left my mind.”
Two years later, in 1997, Andy Cole was surprised when Manchester United signed Teddy Sheringham. Cole deemed it a perplexing decision by Sir Alex Ferguson. And Cole knew how to deal with his “enemy.”
“At Manchester United, we never spoke. Sheringham and I never had any desire to socialize with each other except during disputes on the field. We scored many goals together. But nobody wanted to talk to anyone. Everyone at United wondered how Sheringham and I could live like that,” Cole shared.
Among the Manchester United players, Gary Pallister often addressed team issues. Pallister once said to Cole, “I know you don’t bother talking to Teddy, and he never speaks to you either. But at least on the field, you two are good teammates.”
Regarding this, Cole admitted, “Personally, I’ve despised Sheringham for 15 years. But I’ve never belittled Sheringham’s football talent; he was a top player for the club and for England.”
Andy Cole harbored deep-seated animosity. Even after retirement, he still recalled the bitter memory with Sheringham. In 2010, English football was rocked by the horrific injury inflicted by Ryan Shawcross on Aaron Ramsey. This incident reminded Cole of his own severe injury caused by Neil Ruddock’s brutal tackle.
And listen to Cole talk about Ruddock: “I’d rather sit down and have tea with Neil Ruddock, the guy who broke both my legs in 1996, than see Sheringham’s face. The resentment I have towards Ruddock doesn’t last and isn’t as dreadful as what I feel towards Sheringham.”
The frosty relationship between Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham certainly didn’t escape Sir Alex Ferguson’s notice. The Manchester United manager didn’t take sides. But there was only one occasion when Sir Alex spoke to Cole about it, hoping the two players would reconcile.
“Sir Alex understood us, both me and Sheringham. He was a great and very psychological manager. He mentioned it to me only once. He didn’t want to intervene too deeply,” Andy Cole said of the great manager.
Surprisingly, the two-decade-long feud between Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham was gently resolved… in a nightclub. Sheringham recounted the unbelievable conclusion in an interview with TalkSPORT last year:
“It was about ten years after we retired. I and some friends were drinking in a nightclub. I saw Andy there too, he surprised me by coming towards me.”
“I glanced over Andy’s shoulder and saw his wife Shirley behind him. I could see her discomfort as her husband approached me.”
“‘Ted, let’s let bygones be bygones,’ Cole took the initiative with an outstretched arm full of goodwill.”
“I was extremely surprised; I couldn’t believe Andy did that. But honestly, I was really pleased. I reached out and shook his hand. We didn’t talk much, and Cole left. But I knew we both felt relieved,” Sheringham recounted.
And so, after two decades, Andy Cole extended his hand, and this time, Teddy Sheringham didn’t dismiss it as he did over twenty years ago.