Manchester United icon Andy Cole snubbed Old Trafford when he named the two British stadiums he played at that were home to the best atmosphere. Having grown up in the Arsenal academy before starring for the likes of Newcastle and the Red Devils, the goalscorer, who remains one of the best United have ever had, has had no shortage of incredible experiences visiting various arenas during his career.
While many would imagine that calling St James’ Park and Old Trafford his home at different points of his life may be enough for them to be considered among the best atmospheres he ever experienced, Cole instead went down the route of picking the venues belonging to two of United’s biggest rivals when discussing ‘electric’ environments he had been a part of.
Cole Names Two Best British Atmospheres
Andy Cole
Speaking to ESPN back in 2024 ahead of the second consecutive FA Cup final between Erik ten Hag’s United and Manchester City – another of Cole’s former clubs – the former finisher partook in a 20-questions-style interview. This would eventually lead to the ex-England international being asked what was the toughest away ground he had ever played at.
While he has played away at Old Trafford and St James’ Park, Cole either decided not to include them as a result of his experiences playing there for their respective clubs, or didn’t rate them as highly. Instead, he revealed his picks to be Leeds United’s Elland Road and Liverpool’s Anfield.
Elaborating further, Cole stated:
"The atmosphere was electric. I loved playing there [Anfield] because I always used to score as well. I loved playing there."
Cole is not the only person to sing the praises of Anfield and Elland Road down the years, with many players past and present speaking about the difficulty of playing their because of the noise generated by supporters. As a result, both stadiums have earned reputations of being among the most famous in world football.