Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole won't lose a second of sleep over his Premier League goal record being broken by Erling Haaland this season.
The Manchester City summer signing has surpassed Cole's 34 goal tally in 1993/94 which - until this campaign - had stood alongside Alan Shearer's tally in 1995. Haaland has 35 in 36 league outings, with his goals firing City to a fifth Premier League title under Pep Guardiola's management.
It's been a long time coming in the top flight, but Cole's effort with Newcastle United is no longer the target. Given the incredible nature of his first year with City, the sky seems the limit for Haaland who - no doubt - will want to go even better next season. As for the man he has overtaken, though, Cole insists he is not bothered.
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"I couldn't give a f*** if I'm being honest,' he told the Daily Mail. "I am not anal in any way, shape or form about someone breaking goalscoring records, because records are set to be broken. But people say I must be disappointed. Why? Because someone has scored more goals than me? It's taken 20 years for someone to get that close. Am I going to rock myself to sleep and think: 'Oh God, someone has broken my record?' No, I'll take my hat off to him. I'll salute him. He's done it in a team that creates chance after chance. At some stage, your record's going to be broken."
Cole is the fourth highest goalscorer in Premier League history - behind only Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney - and feels he doesn't get the respect his statistics and trophies deserve.
"I never saw myself as an individual," he says. "It's a game. People have played this game with me for many years. If you look at everything I've achieved in my career, there's no striker I played against who achieved what I achieved and doesn't get the accolades I should be getting. Not one. If you talk about numbers, which everyone does, they stack up.
"If we're talking about achievements, there's no one achieved more than me. So, how can people talk about me as if I was very fortunate to be able to achieve what I achieved? People talk about Haaland finally breaking the record. Unbelievable. He's been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League.
"People talk as if I wasn't the first to do it. I was the first to do it and in a newly-promoted team. How hard would that be to score 34 goals in a Premier League season with no penalties? I get why people do it. I know what it is. I know there's an agenda, because everything stacks up on my side.
"I know what I achieved. If you achieve so much, how can people talk about others who haven't achieved as much? I've been retired now for many years and people still don't want to give me my flowers.'
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