Cole ignores exodus of Italian players to England

JAKARTA (JP): The recent exodus of Italian internationals to the English Premier League does not scare the defending champion Manchester United, the club's striker Andy Cole said here yesterday.

Cole said his team had many excellent players in store to defend its title, including charismatic Frenchman Eric Cantona. Cole said that although competition would get tougher because of the Italians, the premiership title would remain at Old Trafford.

It was reported on Thursday that Lazio's midfielder Roberto di Matteo was heading for Chelsea. He will be the "new firepower" supporting Chelsea's other Italian, Gianluca Vialli.

Juventus striker Fabrizio Ravanelli was the third Italian to move to England recently following a 7.6 million pound (US$11.2 million) deal with Middlesbrough on Thursday.

Cole said that other English teams such as Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers had acquired great foreign players, and that many English players had been recruited by Italian sides in previous seasons.

"Thus, the entrance of the Italian players shall have little or no impact on United," he said.

Cole has a four-year contract with Manchester United and is intent on seeing it through despite reports that Blackburn star Alan Shearer was set to move to United in a deal which would give Blackburn 12 million pounds ($18.5 million) plus Cole. Cole's contract is worth seven million pounds.

"I love Manchester United," said the 24-year-old striker who admitted he knew nothing about his manager Alex Ferguson's plans for him. Cole was transferred from Newcastle to Old Trafford for a record transfer fee of 7.2 million pounds in January last year.

Cole said he would not bother with reports saying he had been unsettled at Old Trafford or that his performances were declining.

"I am no different from anybody else. I play football because I love it. I had fallen in love with it as a child. Football is my world. I want to play the best football and score as many goals as I can," he said.

When questioned about his exclusion from England's Euro'96 team, he said he was very disappointed because it was not only a question of personal but also national pride.

"Terry Venables might not like my style which might not fit well into his pattern. Well, there are of course many strikers who are better than me," said Cole, who idolizes Germany's Jrgen Klinsmann and Liberian George Weah.

Cole added that his absence from the Euro 96 squad would encourage him to improve. "I am delighted to become an improved player. Moreover, as I am improving I still have chances to play in the World Cup," said Cole. He attributed his goal-to- appearance-ratio of 1.57 from 1989 to present as "a sort of instinct".

Cole was here for a one-day stay as a part of a promotional tour for Reebok sportswear. He flies to Malaysia today. (arf)