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HonoursPlayer Info Since he came back hyem from Blackburn Rovers via a stop over on the South coast with Southampton 10 years after initially leaving bonny Newcastle, the Geordie striker has proved to be worth every single penny of his one time world record transfer fee. Such has been his impact on the club he supported as a bairn, his fellow people and indeed the game in general, when the time to call it a day does eventually arrive, there will be a massive void left by his absence which may never be filled or replaced again in the United ranks. Here we profile the man who once dreamt of wearing the coveted No.9 shirt and now stands on the verge of becoming No.1 in the club's all-time hall of fame. Starting out Born in Newcastle and brought up on a small rough council estate in Gosforth, Shearer - the son of a Sheet Metal worker (also of the same name) and from a working-class family - first took an interest in the game at the early age of just six. Like most kids his age in the area, stottin the baal off a brick wall or playing kick-aboot on some lop-sided patchy bit of grass with mates, was a way of life. And really, that's where it all began for him. On mucky fields and concrete paths in the back alleyways of Newcastle. Every day he would practice and a football was never too far away or a game, often against older and much bigger lads. With a Toon daft fatha, football had always been a part of Shearer's life. And like his da, Shearer was a big United fan and dreamed of one day wearing the Black & White shirt. It wasn't just a pipe dream for the skinny youngster either. From the very moment he could first kick a ball he wanted to play the game for real. Deadly passionate about the sport and with his heart set on becoming a professional footballer, Shearer was soon showing he had the ability, enough to make him realise that he had a real chance if he stuck at it. Taking his hobby to a more serious level - he got involved with his local school team Gosforth High at the age of 12, Captaining the side. He would play in a number of positions, often in midfield, but up front as a striker is where he excelled best - once scoring 13 goals in one match for his team. He clearly had something extra special about him and was encouraged to try his luck with the renowned Wallsend Boys Club, a step up from schools football and famous for nurturing talent such as Peter Beardsley, Steve Bruce and in later years to come Steve Watson, Lee Clark, Robbie Elliott, Michael Carrick and Alan Thompson. Shearer made sure his name would be on the list too, becoming a major fixture of the side before a goal laden year with Cramlington Juniors FC. Stick thin with dirty blonde curly hair Shearer stood out but it wasn't his appearance that made others take notice, no, it was his powerful running, strength and prowess in front of goal that had football experts in the North East drooling at the mouth. Being involved with such prominent local youth teams as he was, it was only a matter of time before Newcastle United Boys were alerted to the raw but promising Shearer who spent a period 'on trial' at the club. With injuries to others in the camp the Geordie lad never really got a chance to impress his boyhood idols though, amazingly playing in goal on a few occasions. An unsuccessful trial it proved, one in which the club would regret and pay heavily for in later years. With respected North East scout Jack Hixon looking after the young hotshot however, Shearer knew he'd find a professional club sooner rather than later such was his talent and confidence in Hixon who had first become aware of Shearer when the striker was 13. Traveling up and down the North East to watch him and eventually forging a close enough relationship with his young starlet and parents to represent him. Like Alan, Jack was a fellow Geordie and had many contacts in the game, working for various clubs as a scout and he saw Shearer as more than a precocious talent. The two got on very well and in later years Jack would become an extended part of Big Al's family. Despite his burgeoning reputation though, Shearer was also turned down by West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Manchester City, but Jack eventually got his boy a trial with Southampton - at a cost. He would have to move away from his native Tyneside and more significantly for Shearer, his family and friends too in the most important years of his life. Nevertheless the challenge excited him and he was determined to grab the opportunity of a trial with both hands. Shearer the Saint After a very successful trial period Shearer dully signed apprenticeship terms with the then 1st Division club at the age of 15. And despite being so far away from home, Geordie faces at the club in the shape of youth-team coach Dave Merrington and midfielder Tommy Widdrington, as well as Lawrie Mcmenemy's influence, Shearer felt comfortable in Hampshire - a home from home. And whenever he did get homesick, the club allowed him to return to Newcastle at weekends. Southampton had a good reputation for looking after their youngsters and that was a major factor in Shearer's decision to sign for them. His first 15 months at the Dell was all about growing up for him really and he reveled in being his own man and the independence of looking after himself. He even found himself a future wife on the South coast, meeting the lovely Lainya in a pub after an arranged blind date. Later going on to marry his lass and having bairns of his own. It was football however that occupied Shearer's thoughts more than romance, he was intent on settling down early so he could concentrate on his future fully, and love at first sight was a huge help to him in that sense. With that out of the way the striker would do extra work away from training and club hours, going on 3 mile runs, lifting weights and preparing himself mentally for first-team football. Something he was very confident of achieving but despite his supreme self assurance and mental strength even at such a young age, it still came as a massive surprise to him when he was penciled in to make his first-team debut for Southampton, just two years after leaving home. April 9th 1988 was the date and the opponents at the Dell were Championship contenders Arsenal no less. Bringing with them the meanest defence in the League, in part thanks to their formidable England centre-half Tony Adams - the rock at the back. As fate would have it, striker Danny Wallace had failed a fitness test on the morning of the Gunners game and thin up top, the then manager Chris Nicholl didn't have many options open to him so when he tapped on Shearer's shoulder and told him to prepare for his baptism of fire, to which Shearer replied "I'm ready boss", what followed was the stuff of fairy tales. Just 5 minutes into his first ever professional game, against a team of Arsenal's calibre, in the top-flight and Southampton desperate for three points in their fight to stay up, Shearer made the net bulge... and a second time and then for a third time. He had grabbed himself a hat-trick in an unforgettable 4-2 win for the Saints and become the youngest ever player at 17 years and 240 days of age to do so. Shearer mayhem followed and so did a professional contract at £25 a week basic pay. Life as he knew it had changed forever and he was the talk of English football, plastered all over the back pages of the papers for days afterwards. To put a lid on the frenzy and to protect his exciting jewel however, Nichol gave Shearer just 4 more games that year and the following season, a mere 10. Having scored an incredible 3 in just one game, Shearer failed to find the net in any of those games. Understandibly unhappy at being demoted back into the reserves after his amazing debut, Shearer understood that the club had his and their best interests at heart and he begrudgingly accepted his fate nonetheless. Assured he would get more action and eventually become a first-team regular, he just had to bide his time and take any chance that came his way like he would a goalscoring opportunity. And that's exactly what he did in his third season as a professional, playing a total of 35 games and scoring 5 goals. While more had been expected of him in front of goal (from the media especially), those who knew him best weren't concerned by his poor return. He had shown he was much more than a goalscorer and the Saints fans took the young 20 year-old to their hearts for his all-action, hardworking performances. Shearer himself wasn't concerned either, he was satisfied with just playing so many games and knew the goals would soon follow and follow they did in his fourth season at the club, 14 in total from 48 games in all competitions. A healthy return for the striker and enough to see him selected for the England Under-21 side chosen to represent the nation at the Toulon Tournament. It was an amazing competition for both the player and his country, England won it beating France in the Final and Shearer scored in that game, ending the tournament as top goalscorer with 7 goals in just 4 games. He was also voted the most valuable player too. By then Shearer was regarded as one of the hottest properties in English football and the media were touting him as a future full England international and Gary Lineker's long-term replacement. High praise indeed! Unfazed by all the hype, Shearer underlined the country's faith in him with an even better season at the Dell in 1991-92 where he notched 20 times in a mammoth 60 games which saw him rewarded with a game for England as had been predicted, scoring one and setting up another in a 2-0 win over France at Wembley in a friendly. The Geordie lad was once again the talk of the nation. More international experience quickly followed with inclusion in Graham Taylor's ill-fated England squad for the European Championships in Sweden, but the striker only made one appearance and spent most of the tournament injured as the Three Lions were dumped out. With just two caps to his name, Shearer, in part to Lineker's retirement and injuries to others, was considered England's No.1 striker. Shearer the Rover In the Summer of '92 the hotshot was a wanted man but despite Southampton's claims that their new England striker was not for sale, they eventually cashed in on their prized asset after a then British record transfer fee of £3.3 million proved too tempting an offer. Basically they were in no position to turn such a huge and unprecedented sum of money down. With Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers waiting to swoop, Shearer picked Rovers as they were the first to talk to him and although he listened to what Man Utd had to say out of respect, his mind was already made up. He and his 7 months pregnant wife traveled to Lancashire for the next chapter in their lives. What wasn't public knowledge back then was that Newcastle, inspired by Kevin Keegan's appointment as manager and free of debt after Sir John Hall and his Magpie Group took control and looking to gain promotion to the top-flight themselves, had also enquired about Shearer. But the ink was dry on his Rovers contract by then for any u-turns to happen. Despite being a Newcastle fan, it remains pure conjecture even today whether Shearer would have chosen United ahead of Rovers at the time. The Toon were then a 2nd Division club where as Blackburn had just won promotion to the new Premiership and were backed by the millions of local businessman Jack Walker. A formidable side under the guidance of manager Kenny Dalglish was being fashioned and Big Al was the icing on the cake.. Indeed it was a massive coup for Dalglish who knew a thing or two about strikers having been one of the best in his playing days for Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland and he saw Shearer as the man to lead them to major honours. Alex Ferguson on the other hand, his Manchester United counterpart, was privately devastated that he had lost out on his number one target. Their loss proved to be Blackburn's gain and on his debut Shearer scored two stunning goals in a 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park as the new brave dawn of English football in the shape of the newly set up Premier League began. With hooliganism rife in England and the awful tragedy of Hillsborough still haunting the thoughts of match day fans, UK football had been at an all-time low and the recovery was slow and painful for many. The Premiership, backed by the millions from Sky Television's deal to transmit live matches, the campaign to make stadiums all-seater and the emergence of exciting young talent, was trumpeted as the rebirth of a national game that had lost it's appeal. And in Alan Shearer with his boyish good looks, youthful enthusiasm, (Geordie)charm in front of the microphone, professional attitude and dazzling performances out on the pitch, the new age of football had it's golden boy and the perfect face to match the new repackaged product they were selling. The game was changing; big fees and big wages were to become common affair and it was Shearer who paved the way. Blackburn themselves were big players in the ever transforming face of the game, spending heavily and adding further big names at big prices to the acquisition of their Geordie man but for all their money they couldn't prevent their No.1 player from suffering with a serious injury that saw him miss the remainder of the season and parts of the following 1993-94 one. Shearer damaged his cruciate ligaments in a Boxing Day clash with Leeds which kept him out of action for 9 whole months and his loss wasn't just felt at Ewood either, but at Wembley too. Deprived of his leading front man Taylor's England failed to qualify for the '94 USA World Cup in his absence. Alan's dreams of wearing the white of his country on the biggest stage of them all had to wait a few more years yet. He did get to fulfil another dream through, but not as he had initially set out to do as a youngster back in Gosforth. On his much anticipated return from injury Shearer grabbed Blackburn an equaliser at St. James' Park in a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Newcastle, and at the Gallowgate End too. Despite missing the first month of the season, he was unstoppable and after firing Blackburn into second place with an incredible 31 League goals, his many critics who argued he wouldn't be the same player after his injury and that it would take him time to regain his strength, were all left to eat humble pie. And to rub it in further, Shearer's magnificent haul of goals won him the Footballer of the Year award to cap off an amazing return to full fitness. He was not only the most expensive player in the country, the No.1 striker in the Premiership and for England, he was also head and shoulders the best player in the League. 1994-95 was an even better year for Shearer and his Blackburn side, his 34 League goals won them the Premiership title, their first success in 81 years. The signing of fellow striker Chris Sutton at £5m gave Big Al the ideal partner to play off and the two become known as the SAS in a deadly double act that blew away all before them. Adding to his winners medal Shearer was also crowned the PFA Player of the Year, a prestigious award voted for by his fellow professional footballers. His decision to snub Man Utd had proved the right one. Having won the Title Blackburn had qualified for the lucrative Champions League but Shearer missed most of their group stage games with an injury and without their leading goalscorer they were eventually eliminated. In the League they didn't live up to their billing as Champions either, failing to defend their crown successfully. Dalglish the man who masterminded their rise from the old 2nd Division to League winners, had taken on another role at the club by then under the dubious description of 'Football Director'. Unheard of in English football at the time, it was yet further proof of the changing landscape of the game. One thing that didn't change was Shearer's goal celebrations. Despite finishing 7th in the Premiership he still hit the 30 plus goal mark for Blackburn, for the third season running and to underline his credentials as a world-class centre-forward, he went on to score a further 5 goals to win the Golden Boot for England in their run to the Semi-Final's of the European Championships which were staged on home soil. A wave of euphoria had descended on England after a successfully staged Championships. The nation was gripped by football and even old foes Germany winning the Cup at Wembley wasn't enough to dent fans' confidence in the sport. The Summer mantra of 'football's coming home' wasn't quite the prophecy it was meant to be but for Shearer, going home perhaps was. Shearer the Magpie Having recently signed a new contract with Blackburn and declaring he would not leave, Shearer was once again at the centre of more media frenzy during pre-season of 1996. Not for breaking goalscoring records though, but for leaving Ewood Park and becoming the world's most expensive footballer at £15m. After his Euro '96 exploits Shearer was regarded as the best all-round centre-forward on the planet and was at the top of the shopping list for most clubs, including Barcelona of Spain, Juventus and Inter Milan of Italy, Manchester United and his boyhood heroes Newcastle. There was only ever going to be one winner for his signature though. Shearer was coming hyem in a massive deal that shocked the world of football and left Alex Ferguson's face red in rage, and not for the first time. Snubbing Man Utd for a second time and declining overtures from the continent, the Geordie striker would finally get his wish 10 years after leaving the City and fulfil a lifelong dream - to play for his beloved Toon. 20,000 Geordies skived work, skipped school and extended dinner breaks on a rain swept but warm day to gather outside of St. James' Park to greet the return of one of their own. 'Shearer's coming home' punctured the Tyneside air and huge cheers erupted when the new No.9 appeared. It was an unreal experience for everyone involved and something never to forget on what was one of the greatest days in the club's history, not topped since. Shearer always looked out for Newcastle's results even as a Blackburn player and had supported the club as a bairn, standing at the Gallowgate End with his father and once queuing 9 hours to get in to witness Kevin Keegan's debut back in '84. And now he was signing for his big hero who as manager, had transformed the club from a sleeping giant to genuine Title challengers in the space of 4 years, just missing out the previous season on winning their first Title since 1927. Signing Shearer was the missing piece in the jigsaw Keegan claimed and gave Newcastle a formidable forward line of Les Ferdinand, David Ginola and Peter Beardsley. United were red hot favourites to win the League and end those years of pain. But it was the Reds of Manchester who Newcastle would have to overcome if they were to lift the Premiership and a 4-0 hammering at Wembley in the Charity Shield showed that the team of the '90s were intent on defending their crown, with or without Shearer. In only his second League game for his new club the Geordie hitman's dreams were finally realised. He scored at St. James' Park, curling in a 30-yard free-kick against Wimbledon before peeling away to the delight of thousands who showered him with chants of 'Shearer-Shearer'. A chant still going strong to this day. Life had come full circle for Big Al. From dreaming of wearing the Black & White shirt to scoring for his beloved United, he was living the dream. Newcastle's own dreams of lifting the Premiership were not to materialise however with Man Utd once again proving just too good. Revenge for the previous campaign where the Old Trafford side overhauled United's 12 point lead at the top was sweet though as the Magpies beat the Red Devils 5-0 at St. James's, Shearer scoring one of them in a famous victory. Spending his boyhood years trying to emulate Keegan, Shearer like every other Geordie was shocked to the core when the man heralded as the messiah by fans, the man who signed him, left the club in January '97. Newcastle were 2nd in the League and had just thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 7-1 in a master class performance. Nobody could understand why King Kev as he had become known as, had suddenly left and for Shearer in particular it was bitter blow. He had enjoyed working with Keegan in his brief time at the club and had become firm friends away from football. A relationship still strong today. But the familiar face of Dalglish who was appointed Keegan's successor that same month was a welcome one for the striker, he and Shearer were bosom buddies and together it was hoped they could repeat what they did at Blackburn. Dalglish in the proceeding months steered Newcastle to their second successive 2nd place finish and with it Champions League qualification for the first time in the club's history. For Shearer it had been a great season as an individual, scoring 28 League goals, winning the PFA Player of the Year again and coming 3rd in the World Player of the Year awards. This after missing two months through a groin injury. He also took over the Captaincy of England, his goals firing England to the top of their Wolrd Cup qualifying group. Once again Newcastle were expected to challenge for the Title the following term in 1997-98 but their plans suffered a double blow before the season had even kicked-off. First Ferdinand was sold, one half of a 60 goals plus partnership, and then Shearer himself suffered a sickening injury, breaking his ankle stretching for a ball in a friendly game at Goodison Park against Chelsea. An injury which saw the United man miss 7 months of the campaign and losing the remaining bit pace he had left in his game. In his absence young Danish starlet Jon Dahl Tomasson, bought as a deep lying forward and pushed up front as a centre-forward, Georgian recruit Temuri ketsbaia and later Ian Rush a former strike partner of Dalglish and a veteran at that stage, all partnered Tino Asprilla up front at one time or another. But goals were scarce and Newcastle were at the wrong end of the table come January. United did qualify for the group stages of the Champions League after beating Croatia Zagreb in the dying moments of extra-time to go through on the away goal rule back in August. But despite a thrilling 3-2 win over the mighty Barcelona at a packed St. James' Park who saw Asprilla bag a hat-trick, they were eventually eliminated to confound their miserable League form. The season really was turning into a disaster but the long awaited return of Shearer well ahead of schedule as a substitute at home to Bolton in January, promised better things. Yet his return to fitness could do little to halt the slide down the table with the Toon going on to finish in 13th place. In the FA Cup however Shearer fired them all the way to Wembley, clinching the winner in the Semi in a 1-0 win against 1st Division Sheffield United at Old Trafford but the striker's season ended as it started - in tears. Newcastle lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the final putting in a woeful performance that had fans screaming 'attack-attack' from the stands as their side played hopelessly in front of them. For Shearer there was no time for moping about or feeling sorry for himself though, he had a World Cup to look forward to having regained his fitness just in time to be selected for Glenn Hoddle's England side for France '98. But even with their talismanic striker and the emergence of Michael Owen, the Three Lions failed to get past the second round, losing on penalties to Argentina in a game that Shearer scored in, giving him a tally of two for the competition in 4 games. The following season was just as traumatic as the previous one for Shearer and Newcastle. Dalglish was sensationally sacked in August, just three games into the season and was replaced by flamboyant Dutchman Ruud Gullit, ex-Chelsea manager and one time former World Player of the year. Gullit's Chelsea were renowned for playing good technical football and United fans were excited by the promise of 'shexshy football', but another disappointing League campaign saw Newcastle finish out of the top 10 a second successive season with Shearer the top scorer on 21. In the old FA Cup Newcastle were determined to go one better and once again made it all the way to the Final with Shearer the man of the Semi once more, scoring twice to see off Spurs to set up a mouthwatering finale against Manchester United who were chasing a League and Cup double and the small matter of a Champions League trophy too. Many had predicted the Red Devils would have one eye on their Final in Barcelona against Bayern Munich to be played a few days later, but they like Arsenal, proved too strong for a depleted Newcastle side who lost 2-0. That elusive trophy would have to wait for Shearer and Co. The No.9's dream move wasn't working out, not as he had planned anyway and rumours circulated that Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona were all interested in the Toon man but he was as committed as ever and signed a new 5-year deal which would see him into his 30s. Shearer's delight at signing on for further years soon turned to despondency however. First he saw red on the opening day of the 1999-2000 season at home to Aston Villa who ran out 1-0 winners and by the time local-rivals Sunderland came to Toon in September United were rooted to the bottom of the League and Shearer was left standing in the rain, literally. The No.9 was sensationally dropped for the big Derby game, for the first time in his career too. A decision which caused shockwaves on Tyneside. Big Al, Robert Lee and striker Duncan Ferguson, Gullit's £8m signing from Everton the previous term, had all fallen out with the Dutchman who refused to listen to their pleas to get midfielder Lee reinstated into the first-team. In a clear swipe at Lee, Gullit made him train with the youth team and took his No.7 shirt off him. A big mate of Shearer's, this obviously angered the striker and he and his manager had a fall-out. In Newcastle's biggest game of the season and with several first-teamers missing Shearer had to watch from the dugout as his side lost 2-1 to the Mackems on a rain swept cold Tyneside evening that would go down as one of the darkest night's in the club's history. Big Al made a late appearance from the bench but by then it was too late and Gullit resigned the following morning. The media were loving the chaos and questioned whether Shearer was bigger than the club but an international break provided him and Newcastle with some respite and as the striker was banging in a hat-trick for England at Wembley, his new manager was watching from the stands. Fellow Geordie and one time England boss Bobby Robson was quickly appointed to succeed Gullit and his first task was to get Shearer back to doing what he did best - scoring goals. In Robson's first home game in charge his newly named Skipper did just that with an incredible 5 goal salvo in an 8-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday. It wasn't long before Newcastle were off the bottom of the table and climbing, eventually finishing 11th with Shearer claiming his best season in a Black & White shirt, scoring 30 goals in all competitions. More heartbreak at Wembley, losing to Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi, couldn't even put a dampener on life. Things were finally looking up for the striker and his club. That Summer also saw Shearer team-up with former manager Keegan once again who by then had taken over as England manager after a stint at Fulham. On the eve of the Euro 2000 Championships however, Shearer dropped a bombshell and caused more headlines by declaring he was to quit international football once the competition ended to concentrate on playing for United. The tournament was to be his final swan song for the Three Lions. Despite claiming 2 goals, one of them a famous diving header to beat Germany 1-0, England were dumped out and a tearful, head bowed Shearer waved goodbye to his shirt for good, as he had promised. He would never play for England again, despite many calls to come out of retirement from the same fickle media who would often criticise him while wearing the shirt. He took a lot of criticism from the media and fans alike for 'turning his back on his country', even though most of them wanted him dropped at one stage or another but Shearer cited he didn't feel he could do two jobs at once and wanted to desperately win a trophy for Newcastle which would require all his energy. England were in good shape he thought, with Owen and others coming through the ranks. Shearer had served his country well and left having given his all and scoring 30 goals in total - a tremendous record at the highest level. Back at Newcastle the following campaign, Bobby a fierce patriot, was privately delighted with his Skipper's decision and backed his main man as too were United fans, putting club before country was the ultimate act of loyalty at club level and for Shearer, such a proud Englishman, to put Newcastle first proved he loved the club as much as any fan. But then that's what he was underneath - a Toon fan. Plans to galvanise Newcastle that season were fairly unspectacular though and once again the club finished 11th in the table after a mundane season. In large owed to Shearer missing most of it with various injuries, playing just 27 games and scoring 7 goals in total. Ironically one of the reasons he retired from international football was so that he could play more games for Newcastle. Season 2001-02 proved to be much better though for both Shearer and the club. Bobby brought in Craig Bellamy from Coventry City for £6m, Frenchman Laurent Robert for £9.5m, a left winger with a deadly left-foot and signed up Shay Given for a few more years. Shearer missed the first month of the season with a groin problem but just as he returned, United were hitting top gear and in Robert and Bellamy, a lightening quick live wire who did Shearer's running for him, the No.9 finally had the quality service he required and Newcastle were back amongst the big boys, finishing 4th in a Champions League qualifying spot. Clinched at Ewood Park as fate would have it thanks to two goals from their former star striker who rounded off the season in style with a total of 27 strikes. Newcastle were expected to mount a serious Title challenge in 2002-03 and once again Bobby bought heavily, spending £6m on centre-half Titus Bramble and £8.5m on young European player of the year Hugo Viana to compliment the recent purchase of Jermaine Jenas at £5m. The United manager was building for the present and the future. Despite a slow start in the League the Magpies were soon flying again with Shearer in fine form, scoring 25 goals that term as his resurgence under Bobby continued. At one stage the Championship was a real possibility but an injury to Craig Bellamy towards the end of the season meant United had to settle for 3rd place and Champions League qualification again. And having enjoyed a spectacular competition, making history by becoming the first team ever to qualify for the second group stage despite losing their first three matches, Newcastle were comfortable at the highest level and wanted more. The following campaign though a sickening penalty shoot-out defeat at St. James' Park to Partizan Belgrade in the qualifiers, proved a massive blow and the Toon would have to wait until their 7th match to pick up their first win of the season, Shearer grabbing the only goal in a 1-0 win over his old team Southampton. But a further 27 strikes for the Geordie No.9 couldn't fire his team to another Champions League spot, eventually finishing in 5th. It had been a disappointing campaign that promised so much. Off-field problems were added to by the woe of losing a UEFA Cup Semi-Final to Marseille. So close yet so far. Preparations for season 2004-05 couldn't have got off to a worse start for United either, half the squad coming down with a bout of Conjunctivitis. And with no win in the opening four games Sir Bobby as he had become by then, was sensationally sacked and replaced by Graeme Souness who arrived from Shearer's former club Blackburn Rovers. Big Al welcomed the Scot amid an outpouring of discontent from fans unhappy at his appointment and the first 2 months of his reign went well, unbeaten in over 10 games and going well in Europe. Three thirds through the season after a bad run between November and January, Newcastle, on the back of 8 successive wins, were closing in on two trophies - the FA and UEFA Cup. But as Shearer had found out since his dream move, United and disaster are never far apart. First the Magpies were thrashed 4-1 by Sporting Lisbon and dumped out of Europe in the Quarter-Final stage despite being a goal up from the first leg and a few days later at Cardiff Man United inflicted the same scoreline in the FA Cup Semi. And worse was to come, United finished in their lowest ever Premiership position of 14th in what Shearer acknowledged as his worst season at the club. On the goal hunt he managed 19 strikes but only 7 in the League Having made a u-turn to not retire as he had planned, Shearer signed a new 1 year deal in April 2005 midway through the season and now heads into his tenth year at the club with two aims - to break wor Jackie Milburn's record of 200 goals in a United shirt and to finally win that elusive trophy. 2005-06 is upon us - can he do it in his last ever year as a professional? Shearer the Lion Ever since he broke into the full England squad in 1992, only injuries kept him out. No challenger came anywhere near him despite the numerous top strikers available for selection. Wearing the shirt with pride Big Al was a throw-back to the old days where players saw playing for their country as the pinnacle of their career and despite the criticism and sheer weight of expectancy on his shoulders he delivered the goods scoring an amazing 30 goals in 63 games. Had injuries not played such a huge part in his career, he may well have went on to become England's top goalscorer of all-time but he'll have to settle for being 4th on the list as of writing and with it one of the greatest ever to wear the shirt. Captaining the side 34 times Shearer lead by example and played in four major tournaments for his country and under 4 different managers too, one every two years. His record is made all the more remarkable given he rarely had a regular partner to play off and while he was one of the best strikers in the world, England simply didn't have the team around him to really challenge for serious honours and by the time young exciting talent came through Shearer was on his way to bowing out of the international scene to concentrate on scoring goals for Newcastle. England haven't really replaced him since and don't look like doing so in the near future. That's because Big Al is a one-off, for club and country. National legend. Shearer the man Not much is known about Alan Shearer away from the green of the grass who is a very private man dedicated to his family and friends. Shunning the limelight, the No.9 is simply not one to court publicity away from the football pitch. You won't catch him coming out of a nightclub the worse for ware or attending any showbiz bashes. He's a family man and prefers to take his wife and kids out or to share a pint with his father and uncles. What we do know is that he is a dedicated sportsman, a true professional and an honest, hard working, down to earth decent bloke. One of Newcastle's finest ever sons and an ambassador for the area, the club, the country and the game he has given so much. Legend is an overused word today but in Shearer - that's exactly what he is - a true footballing icon up there with the best of them. Shearer the future? Now a player coach and taking his FA and UEFA B coaching badges, Shearer seems almost certain to make the step-up from player when he does retire to that of manager at Newcastle one day soon. Big Al also has media commitments which he enjoys and feels he could be comfortable with for a few years, but management is his destiny. He has already confirmed it is something he wants to do in the near future and while he has reiterated lately that he is too young for the United job, it is his when he wants it. Whether he'll be a success, one can only speculate but if if there is one thing Newcastle fans have come to learn of Shearer - write him off at your peril. *This profile of Alan Shearer is copyright of Newcastle-Online.com and may not be reproduced, rewrote or copied in part in any way, shape or form without prior written consent*
*Does not include this season - to be added at the end of the campaign. Notes: Please allow for any inaccuracies. If you do spot a mistake, then please report them and we will make the necessary changes. |
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Alan Shearer Profile (NUFC Player Profiles)
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Name: Alan Shearer OBE
Alan Shearer - Strengths & Weaknesses