As well as for Manchester United and Newcastle United, Cole also played in the top division of English football for Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland, as well as in The Football League for Bristol City, Birmingham City, Burnley and Nottingham Forest. He is the third-highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 187 goals, and holds Premier League records for most goals scored in a 42-game season (34), and fastest to score 50 goals (65 matches), as well as being the only player to top the Premier League's goalscoring charts and assist charts in the same season in their own right, in 1993-94.