Former Manchester United colleagues Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham barely spoke to each other and came to blows
Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole in action for Manchester United
Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole never saw eye to eye(Image: PA)
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Manchester United's incredible success in the late 1990s and early 2000s came amid a toxic feud between two of their key players. It's well known that Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham didn't get on during their four years together at Old Trafford, a period which included the Treble in 1999.
But fewer people know the reasons behind the hatred between the pair that led to them coming to blows in the tunnel, with Roy Keane, of all people, briefly acting as peacemaker. It all started in 1995, two years before Sheringham joined United from Tottenham.
The pair were on England duty, with Cole making his debut off the bench, replacing Sheringham, in a friendly against Uruguay. The pair didn't know each other but Cole was left offended when Sheringham snubbed his offer of a handshake.
Writing for the Independant in 2010, Cole said: "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. From that moment on, I knew Sheringham was not for me."
In the same column, Cole confessed he would be more inclined to have a cup of tea with Neil Ruddock, the defender who left him with two broken ankles following a tackle in a reserve game, than with Sheringham.
Despite their hostile relationship, they formed a great bond on the pitch. Cole added: "I never spoke a single word to him. People wonder how on earth we could function like that. [United defender] Gary Pallister once said to me, 'I know you don't speak to Teddy and he doesn't speak to you, but at least you play well together.' We did, and I wouldn't ever cast aspersions on Sheringham's talent as a top-rate footballer for his clubs and country. I've just loathed him personally for 15 years."
The pair were more likely to exchange blows than words. Take an incident in 1998 following a draw with Bolton when Sheringham blamed Cole for a goal before a bizarre intervention by Keane.
Writing in his autobiography, Cole said: "Teddy turned around, looked me in the eyes and growled, 'Their goal was your fault.' What? I scored the equaliser, and now he's saying that! I run up the tunnel and just as he gets to the dressing room, I'm ready to steam in. I'm screaming all sorts and trying to throw punches, but everyone's on me, pulling us apart.
"The next thing I know, Roy Keane has me up against the wall and he’s shouting in my face, 'What the **** are you doing, Coley? Sort yourself out. We're a team.'"
Sheringham once snubbed Cole when being replaced while on England duty
The incident that started a feud that lasted a decade(Image: YouTube)
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However, according to Cole, Keane then became an aggressor himself. Cole added: "I'm not hearing him, but I calm down, and suddenly Roy is going for Teddy, ripping into him, and it's our turn to try to pull them apart.
"'What's all that about, Skip?' I ask a clearly incensed Keane. 'You wanting to fight him reminded me of what a****** he was to me at Nottingham Forest!'
However, their feud had a happy ending following a chance meeting in a nightclub. Speaking to talkSPORT in 2023, Sheringham said he initially feared another ruckus before the pair finally shared a handshake.
Andy Cole of Manchester United and Teddy Sheringham of Manchester United celebrate with the European Cup after winning the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Bayern Munich at Nou Camp on May 26, 1999 in Barcelona, Spain.
Cole and Sheringham put their differences aside on the pitch, winning a host of trophies together(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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He said: "I thought, 'Hello, this could turn a bit nasty.' I don’t know whether he's going to try and put one on me or what. He walked over and said, 'Ted, look, let’s let bygones be bygones and forget about what’s happened and move on.'
"He put his hand out and I was like, 'Wow, I did not expect that Andy.' But yeah I'm happy to do that, put my hand out and shook hands."
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