On This Day in 2001: Andy Cole joins Blackburn from Manchester United

Andy Cole signed for Blackburn from Manchester United for £8million on this day in 2001.

The 30-year-old England striker decided his glorious seven-year career at Old Trafford had come to an end and agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Rovers.

Cole, who moved from Newcastle to Old Trafford in 1995, gave a press conference following Blackburn’s 1-0 defeat to Derby where he explained he could see no future at United.

He said: “Manchester United is a great club and I had seven great years there and won all the medals I dreamed about as a kid.

“But there was no chance of me playing regularly so it did not take me long to make my mind up.

“I’m very excited. Blackburn may not be as big a club as Manchester United or Newcastle United but when you see the manager here, what he did as a player and what he told me about his plans for the future of the club, that made my mind up.”

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness said: “I am absolutely delighted. I’ve said all season that the thing we have missed is someone who is a goalscorer and, in Andy, we’ve gone for the very best.

“It would be hard for us to make a better signing.

“I’m really happy. Players are very expensive and the board have pushed the boat out.”

Cole made his first appearance for Blackburn in a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham on New Year’s Day in 2002 and scored his first goal for the club seven days later in a League Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday.

He went on to net the winner against Spurs in the League Cup final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and scored 37 goals in all competitions for Rovers before joining Fulham in July 2004.