Friday 7 April 2017 11:11, UK
Manchester United have revealed that former striker Andrew Cole has undergone a kidney transplant operation.
The club released a statement saying that the Champions League winner would be taking a break from his role as United ambassador as a result during his recuperation.
Cole suffered kidney failure in June 2014 as a result of contracting an airborne virus. The operation was part of the 45-year-old's treatment for a condition called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis, which causes scarring of the kidney and impacts on levels of protein in the body.
The statement said: "Manchester United Ambassador, Andrew Cole has undergone a kidney transplant operation at Manchester Royal Infirmary as part of his treatment for a condition called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.
"During his recuperation Andrew will be taking a break from his role as Manchester United Ambassador.
"Andrew and his family would like to thank the club and fans for their support and request that he can continue with his treatment in private and ask that their privacy is respected."
Cole won 15 caps for England and made 275 appearances for Manchester United, where he scored 121 goals and won five Premier League titles as well as two FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League.
He joined Blackburn Rovers in 2001, where he won the League Cup, before spells at Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Birmingham, Sunderland, Burnley and Nottingham Forest before retiring in November 2008.
