SHEARER, AlanRole:Centre-forward 1996-date
6' 0"
b. Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne,
13th August 1970
CAREER:
Cramlington jnrs/Wallsend Boys' Club 1983-86/Cramlington jnrs 1985-86/ Southampton sch Sept 1984, app July 1986, pro Apr 1988/Blackburn Rovers July 1992 �3.6m/ UNITED July 1996 �15m. Debut v Everton (a) 17/8/96
The world record �15 million purchase of Alan Shearer during July 1996 took Newcastle United's commitment to establish the Magpies as one of the top clubs in Europe to a different level. Newcastle saw off the challenge of their rivals, Manchester United, to sign the Blackburn and England striker with the advantage of knowing that Shearer very much wanted to play for his home-town side. A supporter of the black'n'whites, and of Kevin Keegan, as a teenager, Alan was once at St James Park for trials, but ended up in goal for part of the time and his talent was lost to Southampton. Netting a hat-trick on his first full league outing for the Saints against Arsenal he became, at 17 years old, the youngest player to do so in the top flight. By the time he had developed into an up and coming young striker at Southampton, claiming a record 13 goals for the England Under-21 side, United tried to take him back to Tyneside during 1992 with a �3 million bid. That attempt failed, but Kevin Keegan never lost his admiration for the player described as the ultimate all-round centre-forward. Shearer is strong, aggressive and intelligent leading the front line. He possesses power in both feet, is clinical close in and quite spectacular from long range. Alan has a searing turn of pace and is quite outstanding in the air, but plays a team game too. It was Blackburn Rovers who eventually gained his transfer and at Ewood Park Shearer hit 130 goals, almost a goal a game over four seasons; 22 (1992-93), 34 (1993-94), 37 (1994-95) and 37 (1995-96). He was very much the key man who won the Premier League Championship for Rovers in 1995 and rapidly the Geordie became a regular for the full England side, appointed skipper recently under new coach Glenn Hoddle. Netting on his debut for his country, Shearer went on to become leading scorer in the Euro '96 tournament with a devastating burst of finishing. His reputation as Europe's best striker was cemented further and United stepped in to smash the previous highest fee paid for Lentini and Ronaldo on the continent. Alan Shearer returned home to a rapturuous welcome to become not only the last piece in Kevin Keegan's 'dream-team' but also to hopefully become established as Newcastle United's biggest ever Number 9 hero.
Honours:
46 Eng caps 1992-date/
1 Eng unoff app. 1996/
1 Eng B cap 1992/
11 Eng u21 caps 1991-92/
England Youth app./
PL champs 1995/
FWA Footballer of the Year 1994/