Native New Yorke(r) (Dwight Yorke)

Member Name: dave27

Product:	Dwight Yorke
Date:	30/07/02 (37 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Exciting, Skilful, Unselfish

Disadvantages: Off form

An oldie but goodie - why does/did Eric Cantona always play with his collar turned up? Because he has to carry Cole...

That joke was quite funny round our way at one moment in time, but after Monsieur Cantona moved on, it was left to a little West Indian called Dwight Yorke to bring the best out of our Andy...

Born on November 3, 1971, and born in Canaan, Tobago, Yorke was first spotted and brought into the big time by Graham Taylor in his first spell as Aston Villa manager, before he went on to have such a disastrous spell in charge of the England team.

Villa were on a pre-season tour of the West Indies, and decided to take a gamble on the sharp looking forward. Yorke made his debut, aged 19, on 29 December 1990 in a 1-1 draw, oddly enough against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

By now Ron Atkinson had taken over at Villa Park and Yorke, who suffered a number of injuries, had a stop-start career at the club during Big Ron's reign, missing out on Villa's 1994 Coca Cola Cup win, as the Midlanders beat Manchester United (again) 3-1.

It was the advent of Brian Little as manager at Aston Villa which brought out the best in Cole and he scored the third goal when the club beat Leeds United to win the Coca Cola Cup again in 1996. He was now a mainstay of an exciting Villa side, and in 1996-97 had a wonderful season, becoming the first Villa player since 1981 to score 20 goals in a single season.

The following season he was again top scorer, prompting Villa to win a place in Europe via qualification for the UEFA Cup.

That performance caught the eye of United manager Alex Ferguson and in August 1998 a record £12.6 million fee secured Yorke's signature. Many doubted the wisdom of such a large fee, but it was a master stroke, and it was the skill and unselfish approach of Yorke which finally enabled Andy Cole to recapture the sort of form which he had enjoyed at Newcastle.

At the same ti
me, Yorke sustained his Villa form, and even built on his reputation, hitting 29 goals as United captured a remarkable treble triumph. Cole managed another 24 goals, and the duo seemed to hit it off from the start, prompting each other to new heights.

Yorke had another useful season in 1999-2000, but the following season saw his appearances rationed by the arrival of Teddy Sheringham from Tottenham, while the big money capture of Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2001 saw the total eclipse of Yorke, and for months now he has been kicking his heels in United's reserves.

When Andy Cole signed for Blackburn last season, it resurrected his career and now Rovers manager Graeme Souness has opted to try and rejuvenate the Cole-Yorke dynamic by bringing the West Indian to Ewood Park for a cut price £2m fee, after United had originally demanded £6m.

Yorke managed 48 Premiership goals in 80 starts, plus 16 susbtitute appearances and for four or five years back then was one of the most feared strikers in the country. Only time will tell whether Souness' gamble will pay off, especially as he still needs to find a place for England hopeful Matt Jansen.

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