'To be brutally honest, I was one of the worst of the bullies... you picked on the weakest': Andrew Cole makes a startling admission and reveals how the beatings at the hands of his miner father shaped his life

The top five Premier League strikers of all-time? It’s a straightforward question but Andrew Cole is hesitating, unsure of where to go on this. Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer are both a given. ‘Aguero, he would definitely be in there,’ he says. ‘Rooney would be in there, Van Nistelrooy would have a shout...’

Come on Andrew! The obvious omission is Cole himself, third on the all-time list with an extraordinary 187 goals. Throw in a Champions League title, five Premier League titles, two FA Cup wins and in reality there is no doubt.