Cole joined Second Division Bristol City on loan in March 1992 before signing in a £500,000 permanent deal in the summer of 1992, at the time becoming their most expensive player.

In February 1993, Division One leaders Newcastle United broke their club transfer record by paying £1.75 million to sign Cole.

[7] After David Kelly was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers, manager Kevin Keegan brought in Peter Beardsley as Cole's strike partner for the 1993–94 Premier League campaign.

Cole scored 34 goals in 40 matches during Newcastle's first Premier League season as they finished third, and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time since the 1970s.

This included his first, the winner in a 1–0 victory over Aston Villa on 4 February at Old Trafford and five in the 9–0 rout of Ipswich Town, making him the first player to score five goals in a Premier League match.

However, Cole picked up his form in the final stages of the season and scored crucial goals including the equaliser in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea to help send United to Wembley Stadium again.

He then collected his first Premier League title winners medal and scored the second goal in United's 3–0 defeat of Middlesbrough on the final day of the season to help United win the Premier League title for the third time in four years - a remarkable turnaround as his new club had been 10 points behind his old club at Christmas.

The arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjær – and being the victim of two broken legs suffered after a tackle by Neil Ruddock in a reserve match against Liverpool,[23] restricted Cole's first-team chances further.

Cole also developed a strong partnership with Teddy Sheringham (despite considerable personal friction between the two), but United finished trophyless for only the second time in the 1990s as they surrendered their lead of the Premier League to Arsenal during the final two months of the season.

Despite this accreditation, and being the leading goalscorer in all competitions that season with 25, Cole was omitted from England's 1998 FIFA World Cup squad by national coach Glenn Hoddle.

[16] Cole remained upbeat when interviewed and when asked about his new-found return to success, he claimed he had found freedom in his life after the injuries and erratic form of his earlier time at Old Trafford, saying he had great joy with his young son and lived for him and his family in his faith as a born-again Christian.

[citation needed] He also claimed the friendship of Ryan Giggs, his roommate on away matches, was a major motivating factor through the tough times when fans and media doubted him at United.

The two contributed 53 goals between them and were rated as one of the most feared attacking partnerships in Europe, with the pair scoring against sides like Barcelona away at the Camp Nou, and repeating the form all season with incredible one-touch passes and assists that at times seemed to demonstrate a telepathic understanding.

Also in this season, Cole scored his 100th Premier League goal in a top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford on 17 February; the match ended 1–1.

During United's pre-season tour of Australia in July 1999, Cole was involved in a tackle which left 19-year-old Australian defender Simon Colosimo sidelined for six months and requiring a complete knee reconstruction.

Another title followed in 2000–01 when, despite suffering from an injury that restricted his appearances, Cole scored 13 goals in all competitions, including four in the UEFA Champions League, allowing him (at the time) to become Manchester United's record goal scorer in European competition of all time, eclipsing the record set some 30 years earlier by Denis Law.

The following 2001–02 season saw Cole face fresh competition from new signing Ruud van Nistelrooy, as well as Dwight Yorke, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and also Paul Scholes for places up front, with Sir Alex Ferguson adopting a more conservative approach, especially in European matches, by playing Scholes behind Van Nistelrooy with Roy Keane and Juan Sebastián Verón in a three-man midfield.

Despite this, Cole managed to score seven goals before leaving for Blackburn Rovers halfway through the season after falling behind to the formidable partnership of Van Nistelrooy and Solskjær, meaning that he was often a substitute during the final months of his United career.

He scored 11 goals but his relationship with manager Graeme Souness hit rock bottom after Cole reported him to the Professional Footballers' Association ("PFA") accusing him of unfair treatment.

[citation needed] Thirteen years after spending a month on loan at Fulham, Cole returned to Craven Cottage for the 2004–05 season, joining them on a one-year contract.

[citation needed] Cole signed for Manchester City on a free transfer at the beginning of the 2005–06 season,[25] and enjoyed a good start to his career at Eastlands.

[28] However, Cole struggled to break into Harry Redknapp's side and in March 2007, he signed on loan for Birmingham City of the Championship until the end of the season.

[32] Reflecting on his time at Turf Moor, Cole stated, "I went to Burnley and spoke to Owen Coyle and got a great vibe.

[36] A persistent toe injury in the lead up to UEFA Euro 2000 led to Cole missing out on another major competition for his country.

In August 2009, Cole was hired by his former Manchester United and England teammate, Milton Keynes Dons manager Paul Ince, to coach the club's forwards on an initially temporary basis.

[45] In 1999, Cole signed to WEA/Warner Music and released a cover of the Gap Band's "Outstanding" which reached number 68 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 2008, Cole was questioned by police after an alleged assault on his wife at their home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, before being released on bail.

[49] Six months later, Cole, through his representative law firm Schillings, won damages in an action against the owners of the Daily Star for defamation regarding the publication of material concerning the assault allegations and for harms caused against his family by sensationalist reports.