Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of veteran striker Andy Cole following his release by Sunderland.

The 36-year-old has penned a 12-month contract and is looking forward to playing for his hometown club.

He told the Reds' official website, www.nottinghamforest.co.uk: "One of my mates asked me whether I would join Forest if they got promoted to the Championship. I told him I would do my best and here I am.

"It's a dream come true for me. I always said that one day I would play for Forest - I didn't think it would take this long but I'm delighted it's actually happened.

"It's special for me because my grandfather, who is no longer with us, was a big Forest fan and always said he wanted me to play for the club. Hopefully he's up there now looking down on me.

"It's not about money. I had far more lucrative offers elsewhere but wanted to join Forest and make myself and a lot of other people happy."