WHEN England striker Andy Cole finally bows out of professional football, he will look back on his time at Newcastle United as arguably the happiest period of his career.

During three goal-laden seasons in the North East, he scored a staggering 68 goals in 83 appearances to become the darling of the Gallowgate End.

And, though he never actually won anything in the famous black and white, the total football played by United under Kevin Keegan left a lasting impression on the Nottingham-born hitman.

But, as he prepares to line-up against his old club again tonight, Cole admits he will not feel any pangs of sentimentality towards his once-beloved Toon Army.

For Newcastle may always occupy a special place in his heart but for now, at least, he is totally focused on firing the bullets to guarantee Rovers' Premiership survival at the expense of United's Champions League ambitions.

"It's just another game to me now because it's seven years since I left there," said Cole, who has scored nine times against United since he left for Old Trafford in January, 1995.

"I've done alright against them since I left there and long may that continue because we need another three points to guarantee our Premiership safety and that's all I'm bothered about right now."

Images of Keegan stood on the steps outside St James's trying to appease disgruntled Newcastle fans following his decision to sell Cole to Manchester United are a testimony of the high regard in which he was held on Tyneside.

And, though he then went on to win a raft of trophies at Old Trafford, the 30-year-old striker still looks back on his time with the Magpies as one of the most satisfying periods of his professional life.

"When Kevin was there he brought in a lot of attacking players, just like he's doing at Manchester City now, and they were great times," said Cole.

"We scored a lot of goals, we played some very attractive football and I think we were very unlucky not to win something during my time there -- but that's football.

"It was definitely one of the most enjoyable stages of my career, though, especially in view of the amount of goals we scored.

"I know we used to concede a lot, too, but on the whole we won a lot of games by playing attractive football."

The main ingredient in that golden period was without question Cole's partnership with Peter Beardsley up front.

Thanks to Beardsley's clever prompting, Cole scored an incredible 41 goals in his first full season in the Premiership and even now he still rates the Geordie genius as his best ever strike-partner.

"I've gone on record as saying Peter was the best strike-partner I've ever played with," said Cole.

"He had everything but probably his biggest asset was his football brain.

"We hit it off together almost instantly. In my first full season in the Premiership I was fortunate enough to score 41 goals and a lot of that was down to him.

"But the whole emphasis of that team was focused on attack.

"Scott Sellars, for instance, was a class player -- one of the best left-sided players I've ever played with.

"He had a quality left foot and he was one of the best crossers and passers of a ball I've ever worked with.

"But a lot of it was also down to the manager.

"Kevin was very enthusiastic and everyone who plays under him wants to play for him because he wants to get the best out of people, which is very important.

"He was an infectious character, he wanted the game played in the right way and I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing under him."

After Keegan's departure, United struggled to reproduce the kind of free-flowing football the fans had become accustomed to.

But under the shrewd guidance of another Geordie legend in Bobby Robson, the good times are returning to St James's once more.

And, though Cole is aiming to put their Champions League ambitions on hold tonight, he is full of admiration for the way Robson has managed to address the slump.

"Bobby Robson has done a fantastic job up there, especially considering he's not made a lot of big-name signings," said Cole.

When he took over they were at the bottom of the table but he's turned things around and he's only had to buy four or five players to transform them into a team fighting to get into the Champions League.

"But that's football. You never know what's going to happen next.

"If you can suddenly get the right kind of players and the right kind of continuity from the manager then you never know what can happen."