The ex-England international celebrates a landmark birthday and can reflect on scoring 121 goals in 275 matches following one of the biggest shock transfers in the club's history when he moved from Newcastle United, out of the blue, for £6 million plus Keith Gillespie in January 1995.
Earlier in his successful career, Cole had enjoyed one of the best loan spells of the 1990s, when proving his class at Bristol City, in a second temporary move from Arsenal after a stint at Fulham.
The centre-forward realised his potential at Ashton Gate, in 1992, posting a record of eight goals in 12 games during a stay that was made permanent when the Robins paid a club-record fee for him of £500,000.