England international striker Andy Cole is considering leaving Manchester United should he not be a key part of the squad in an attempt to boost his World Cup ambitions, it was reported today.
Cole, who will be 30 in a couple of months, said he needs to play first-team football to ensure he is a first-choice for England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson should England reach the finals in Korea and Japan next year.
Manager Alex Ferguson has already said he expects Paul Scholes and new-signing Ruud van Nistelrooy of Holland to be the main strike partnership this season.
Coles told The Sun: "At my age I cannot afford to be sitting on the bench with a World Cup coming round. At this stage of my career I need to be playing.
"This will be my last chance to be involved in a World Cup. I want to help England get there and then play in the finals. That is every footballer's dream and I will not get picked if I'm not playing regularly for United.
"If I'm not playing on a regular basis, the England manager has every right to overlook me for someone else who is and who is doing well.
"If it is clear in the first few months that I will be spending a lot of time on the bench at United, then I will have to go and see the manager to see where my future lies.
"It would be tough leaving United - but if I have to move to another top club to get first-team football then that is what I might have to do."
Cole arrived at Old Trafford from Newcastle in January 1995 and has gone on to net over 100 goals for the Red Devils.
He is also United's all-time leading scorer in the European Cup with 18, but despite chalking up his first international goal in 13 attempts against Albania in March, he could manage just half-a-dozen goals at club level.
Nevertheless, Cole insists he still has what it takes to be Ferguson's first-choice striker for every match.
"If you look at my goals record, it stands up to any scrutiny," he said. "I still have the utmost faith in my own ability and I know I can do a job.
"I believe I can still be the number one striker at Old Trafford, but I need to be playing - and I want to be playing. Anyone happy to sit on the bench has no ambition."
AFP