Boss Owen Coyle hopes the 36-year-old will agree to sign a permanent deal with the club after a successful loan spell.

He is now waiting for a response, although one national media source was reported as saying Cole was not tempted by the terms.

Cole landed at the club from Sunderland two days before the transfer window closed, and he hit six goals in eight starts, and 13 appearances in total, including the memorable hat-trick at QPR in February.

After his release from the Stadium of Light, the former Manchester United hitman is a free agent, and Coyle spoke about the offer: "We obviously didn't pay his full salary when he was on loan from Sunderland, because it was way in excess of what everyone else is on here.

"Obviously he's now left Sunderland, and we've put a proposal to Andrew, and it will be up to him to come back and say 'yes or no'.
"And that's where we are.

"Given that it is a fairly reduced package from what he's used to, then obviously he'll want a bit of time to think it over."

Coyle remains convinced Cole still has plenty of goals and games in him, but he added: "He loves it at the football club. He's shown he's still capable, if you look at the stats.

"The concern we have, and it's not just with Andrew Cole – it's the concern you have with anybody of that age – is that they'll be able to play the amount of games that we require as a football club.

"We're not one of the bigger clubs in the Championship, who have got a parachute payment and can afford to have a big, big squad.

"Everyone of ours, we have to make sure are going to be able to play a high percentage of the games, and that's something we'll look at.

"Ultimately Andrew will decide what's best for himself, but as regards the football club, we need to do the best we can.

"We think we've made a fair offer from where we are, and we'll see how he comes back."

Cole's influence has not just been on the pitch, with the impact he has had on his fellow strikers immeasurable, and Coyle said: "With the career he's had, and everything he's achieved in the game, the stature he's got, he's got that on merit.

"There are always going to be younger lads like Kyle Lafferty and Chris McCann (who look up to him), and the other thing is as well is that he's integrated himself within the squad very easily, and everyone's taken to him.

"And he's shown when he's been 100% fit and playing, he's got a lot to offer.

"We wouldn't expect Andrew to play every game anyway, so we're trying to get the balance between what we can afford as a football club and knowing that if he did play a certain amount of games, everything would fall into place."