Two of Manchester United's legendary Treble winners couldn't stand each other and had a bitter feud that lasted for 24 years despite the efforts of Sir Alex Ferguson
Neil Docking and Rhys Daly Senior Sports Reporter
18:54, 18 Oct 2025
Andy Cole and Tedding Sheringham were key members of Manchester United's legendary Treble winners
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Andy Cole and Tedding Sheringham were key members of Manchester United's legendary Treble winners(Image: Sunday Mirror)
They were two key members of Manchester United's legendary Treble winning side under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1998-99, who won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
But Andy Cole has been open about how he hated Teddy Sheringham for two and a half decades - despite them once being part of one of the most feared strikeforces in Europe and international team-mates with England.
Cole, who turned 54 this week on Wednesday, October 15, couldn't stand Sheringham, now 59, to the extent the Red Devils legend even claimed that he would rather share a cup of tea with a Liverpool rival who broke his leg in two places.
The duo were picked up front together 99 times in their careers, but only had 10 joint goal participations across more than 5,000 minutes of playing time.
Cole eventually opened up about how much he disliked Sheringham in a newspaper column.
Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham played together for Manchester United
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Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham played together for Manchester United(Image: Mirror)
Following the infamous horror tackle by Stoke's Ryan Shawcross that broke Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey’s leg in 2010, Cole outlined why he would rather talk to ex-Anfield enforcer Neil Ruddock, who caused him a similar injury, rather than Sheringham.
Speaking to the Independent about Ruddock, he said: “I don't have the lingering animosity for him, I have for Sheringham.”
Cole, who joined United from Newcastle in 1995, made his England debut against Uruguay the same year, coming on for then Tottenham forward Sheringham, who would join him at Old Trafford in 1997.
He continued: “You'll need to understand what was in my head at that moment to get even close to comprehending my reaction to what happened next.
“I was so nervous it was frightening. This was the culmination of a lifetime of ambition. You hear the cliche, "It means everything to play for my country". But trust me, it did.
The feud begun as Cole replaced Sheringham for England against Uruguay
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The feud begun as Cole replaced Sheringham for England against Uruguay(Image: EMPICS Sport)
“Not just for me, but for my family, my parents especially, who had endured all kinds of hardships to give us the chances we had. Becoming a pro had been incredible. Now the magnitude of playing for England was indescribable. The moment has arrived.
“I walk on to the pitch, 60,000 or so watching. Sheringham is coming off. I expect a brief handshake, a "Good luck, Coley", something. I am ready to shake. He snubs me.
“He actively snubs me, for no reason I was ever aware of then or since. He walks off. I don't even know the bloke so he can't have any issue with me. We're fellow England players, it is my debut and he snubs me.
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"You know what my immediate thoughts were? "Jesus Christ! How many people just saw Teddy Sheringham do that to me?" I was embarrassed. I was confused. And there you have it. From that moment on, I knew Sheringham was not for me.”
Cole went on to describe their time together at United, insisting that the pair never said a word to each other, admitting that despite Sheringham's talent, he ‘loathed’ him the entire time.
Following his lifesaving kidney transplant, Cole spoke again about the feud in 2018, mentioning how Sir Alex Ferguson managed him fantastically during his time at Old Trafford.
Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham were both team-mates and opponents
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Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham were both team-mates and opponents(Image: AP)
He told the Guardian: “He understood me as a person and even with the Teddy Sheringham thing he was fantastic. He mentioned it to me once and then let it go.”
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Amazingly, Sheringham detailed in 2019 that a chance meeting between the pair led to them burying the hatchet after all these years.
Sheringham told the Daily Mail: "That was the case with me and Andy. We just didn't click. But we've made our peace."
Before adding: ”He put his hand out and said, 'let bygones be bygones and put everything behind us’. I said, 'wow, I didn't expect that. No problem'. I shook his hand and that was that."