Manchester United legend Andy Cole has pushed back against comparisons made between himself and struggling Liverpool FC striker Darwin Nunez, branding them as “very disrespectful”.
Cole netted 121 goals in 275 appearances during his time at Old Trafford, being a part of the 1999 Treble-winning United squad and lifting five league titles. He is fourth on the all-time Premier League scorers chart with 187 goals at seven different clubs.
Last month, social media users had compared him to Nunez, who has struggled to find the net when in promising positions for Liverpool. It was suggested that Cole too missed a number of opportunities during his career alongside his terrific goal-getting abilities.
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Speaking to Casinos En Ligne, Cole hit back at those claims when asked what advice he would give 10-goal Nunez to up his rate of fire. “To be fair I wouldn’t give him any advice,” he responded. “Everyone on social media wants to give him advice.
“Someone said they put him in the same bracket as me and I said to myself I find that very, very disrespectful. Nunez is a totally different player to me. He tried to mention that he gets himself in positions but doesn’t finish off his chances.”
He added: "You never know what’s going through a certain individual’s mind, what he’s struggling with. He’s robust, he’s strong, he gets in great positions but for some reason his finishing is lacking at the present moment.”
Reacting to the comparisons online when they first emerged, Cole tweeted: “Cole... Nunez… not sure where this nonsense started! But it’s Christmas, the festival season… I am happily retired…
“Five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, one League Cup, one Champions League… golden boot, Young Player of the Year. 187 Premier League goals, one penalty. Life is what you make it.”
He later added: “People need to stop disrespecting my name. Because I don’t play the game, just a quiet guy getting on with life people think they can disrespect me. Look at the numbers and compare them to anyone else.”
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