EXCLUSIVE – Man Utd legend Andy Cole: I would swap all my medals for good health

ANDY COLE does not hesitate for a second when asked the question: Would he swap all his medals, goals and memories for good health?
“In a heartbeat,” he said. “What I’ve been through, what I’ve seen my family go through, how distressed they have been, not sure if I was going to come through the other side, I’d swap it all day long.

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“It doesn’t matter how many millions you might have, or what I achieved playing football, your health is your wealth. I would give up all the goals, the trophies, the accolades for good health.”

Cole, 45, had a kidney transplant in April after two years of illness which started when he caught an airborne virus while returning from a Manchester United ambassadorial trip to Vietnam.

Four months down the line he is on course to make a full recovery and is well enough to go back to Old Trafford today to manage a United legends team against Barcelona to raise money for the club’s Foundation. He would love to be out on the pitch, but knows he has to be patient.

“They say the first three months is the most difficult stage, because there’s more chance the kidney will be rejected,” he said. “I’m now four months down the line and the medial team are happy. That’s encouraging. The doctors said the fact I was a footballer and had kept myself fit since retiring gives me a better chance.”

There are a lot of people Cole has to thank. His doctors, of course, but most important his nephew Alexander, who donated the kidney, and his wife Shirley for nagging him to get himself checked up when he first fell ill.
“I’m forever indebted to Alexander,” he said. “He’s my sister’s son. Never mind the pain I went through for two years, to see him in more pain than me after the operation was humbling.

“It brings tears to your eyes to know that someone was prepared to do that, basically, to continue my life at a level I want to live it.

“When I first became ill, I treated it like a footballer would treat a knock – ‘Yeah, you’ll get through it, you’ll run it off’.




“But a couple of days of not feeling great stretched into four or five. I didn’t want to go to the doctor but my wife nagged me to go. Ultimately, she saved my life.”

One of the side effects of the steroids he was given was that he put on weight and had to put up with hurtful “who ate all the pies” comments, until he went public about his illness.

“I’m not the sort of person who likes to come out and admit they’ve got this problem or that problem. If you put on a bit of weight, people make the assumption, ‘Oh, he’s eating too much’
“You’re in the public eye and people are going to question your appearance. So I decided I wasn’t going to hide it. If I’m ill, I’m ill. And when I came out an explained what happened, I think people thought, ‘Bloody hell!’ I think they were shocked.

“Since then the support I’ve had on social media or when I’ve been out and about has been unbelievable.”

Cole appreciates the support he’s had from his former team-mates but singles out his old strike partner Dwight Yorke and Roy Keane for special mention.

“Yorkie’s been phenomenal and Roy phoned me up to ask if he could come and visit me. He turned up at the hospital and we had two hours having a laugh and a joke.

“People have their opinions of Roy. He was a phenomenal player, an unbelievable captain, but to me he’s a special guy.”

And Cole is looking forward to renewing the dressing-room banter before today’s Legends game.

Source:www.express.co.uk