Cole Gets Clark's Vote Over Sir Les!

"Mind you, I have played with so many great strikers that I was tempted to play 10 of them and a goalkeeper.

"Because of the number of brilliant front men I have played alongside, I have been forced to leave the likes of Les Ferdinand and Louis Saha on the bench. And Tino Asprilla, Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn don't even make the bench!"

SHAY gets my vote as my keeper and he just pips Edwin Van der Sar, who I played alongside at Fulham.

Both are similar, but I particularly like the way Shay commands his penalty area. He's a nine-out-of-10 man and whenever I was in the same side as him you knew it was always going to take some finish to beat him.

IN my time at Craven Cottage I always felt that Steve was an exceptional right-back. He is very fit and he is up and down the pitch all the time. Certainly it has not surprised me that he has been such a hit since he switched to Liverpool.

VENNERS could play in a lot of positions but I am using him as the right- sided centre-half in my team. I cannot remember him having a bad game.

And don't forget he could play at right-back, centre-half or as a holding midfield player. Venners is probably the most consistent footballer I have ever come across.

LIKE Venners, Philippe could play anywhere on the pitch. But it was his ability to surge forward which I loved most of all. That meant we could attack opposing teams from all over the pitch. And who can ever forget Philippe's goal against Manchester United?

I'M going for Bez at left-back because there is nobody else. Only joking, Bez. He became better the longer he played and he had great delivery with his left foot.

ROB was so versatile and he was brilliant in all the positions he played for Newcastle United. I would play him as the holding midfielder in my team. I can remember the first day he came to the club as an out-and-out right winger, but he developed into one of the best central midfielders in the country. Like Philippe, he could surge forward and also spray the ball around a bit.

MY former Fulham team-mate is technically a very, very good footballer as he was a product of the renowned Clairefontaine Academy in France. He is a terrific footballer who would be my right-sided midfielder in my dream team.

IN his first six to nine months as a Newcastle United left winger, Ginola was the best player I ever lined up alongside as far as attacking wing play was concerned. Like his fellow Frenchman Steed Malbranque, Ginola had fantastic technical ability. He also had tremendous strength and he not only made goals but scored them as well.

PEDRO is one of the best footballers I have ever come across. Full stop. End of story.

He could do anything with a football.

He scored some ridiculously brilliant goals. And he made some fantastic goals.

WELL, what can I say about Alan? He is Newcastle United's greatest goal-scorer.

And didn't he score some truly fantastic goals for us? Quite simply, Alan Shearer is the greatest centre forward of his generation.

THE last place in my team goes to my old pal Andy Cole.

And because of all the other top strikers I have played behind it was probably the hardest decision of them all.

But without checking the records, I think Coley scored 68 goals for us in just 84 games, and that is nothing short of sensational.

On the bench: Edwin VAN DER SAR, Steve HOWEY, David BATTY, Les FERDINAND, Louis SAHA