Andrew Cole

"Cole has not left Forest"

Nottingham Forest manager Colin Calderwood insists reports that veteran former England striker Andrew Cole has left the club are premature.



Calderwood told BBC Radio Nottingham: "That is not the situation at all at the minute.

"The fact that we've got people returning is making it difficult for him to get in the team."

The 37-year-old has failed to score in 11 games for Forest this season and Calderwood will talk to him this week.

The 37-year-old, who only joined Forest in July after leaving Sunderland, was left out of the Forest squad in their win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Source: BBC Sport

Old King Cole?

Doubt today surrounded Andrew Cole's future at Nottingham Forest.



The club today insisted the striker was still a Forest player, with chief executive Mark Arthur refuting talk that Cole's contract had been cancelled by mutual consent.

But it is understood that the Nottingham-born former Manchester United and Newcastle star is increasingly frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities – and is requesting talks about his future.

Cole was left out of the squad altogether when Cardiff visited on Saturday, after starting the two previous matches against QPR and Ipswich.

And he had previously publicly expressed his dismay at finding himself on the sidelines earlier in the campaign, warning that he had not come to the club to 'sit on the bench'.


But with Joe Garner, Robert Earnshaw and Paul Anderson returning to full fitness – and Forest manager Colin Calderwood often favouring a three-man front line that includes two pacy wide-men – Cole is seemingly facing an even bigger fight to get into the team.

And it now appears that the 37-year-old is prepared to consider leaving the City Ground in search of more regular first team football.

Cole has started five matches and made six substitute appearances for Forest, but is still waiting for his first goal for the club he watched as a boy.