ALAN SHEARER - FOOTBALL'S GREATEST PLAYERS - NEWCASTLE UNITED-ENGLAND

you would have heard it a million times that people see it to you you score a goal it's the best feeling in the world well I'm telling you is for nearly 20 years this rugged inspirational striker was at the very heart of English football with all-round central forwards he could deliver him he will make sure that he's in right in the center of everything it was from Cattleya decima near when he pushed off football easily you know we've had to shoot with both feet in high school types of thousand he was the complete wonderful Alan Shearer realized many of his boyhood dreams to become captain of his hometown club and his country in short an iconic figure of English football hundred percent you know is not wanting in hardly any area defenders you can't give him a chance you wouldn't enjoy a plan against him and he knew he didn't miss much it really low back lift on his shot but such power and issue when you look at what he's done I mean you know you got boys girls in that they're primarily here they're not gonna be they're not going to be be supporting a football club is all about dreams and aspirations and for those who follow Newcastle United those dreams focus on the iconic number 9 shirt the history of the club is dominated by legends of the past who wore it with pride and scored hundreds of goals Jackie Milburn for the Newcastle fans was the first iconic number 9 number 9 you know signified goals the golden still is adored by fans it's the same with Mark MacDonald in a war the number 9 scored the Bulls Newcastle fans loved him because that will be people that are even born yet when we come to 20 30 years in the future the law about Algeria because she'll be talked about a Newcastle United for clock is the best number nine leaders about Alan Shearer grew up in Newcastle on Tyneside a fan of Newcastle United his childhood hero was Kevin Keegan who joined the club in 1982 Keegan the player was integral to their promotion to the English first division remember him following him around the pitch when he was saying goodbye to the funds and a blue tracksuit and trying to get on the pitches were they yet with the cameras to try and get in behind him and off you went in his helicopter and I thought I want a piece of this I like this I like this feeling and I think that's the first time really when I thought I want to play for Newcastle and I want to wear the number 9 shirt he shared his boyhood dream with thousands of others but local scout Jack Hickson presented Allen's father with an opportunity 300 miles away on England's south coast I think his first reaction was do I want to be a channel swimmer or one of our chosen you know we're about shall we yeah better are Scotland the prospect of a professional contract meant leaving home comforts behind for aged just 14 Shira flourished in Southampton embracing his newfound independence and freedom my memories were of getting my first pair packet of them over 27 pound 50 a week and thinking I'm Richie I'm a millionaire we got our digs peered for we've got money for a bush passport because I live near the ground anywhere the old Dell I didn't have to get it so I kept that money as well but I enjoyed the freedom of being or living and supporting for myself he adapted quickly developing friendships and a strong character in the mid-1980s Southampton was an ideal breeding ground for young players and Shearer impressed manager Chris Nichol who gave him his home debut against Arsenal in April 1988 it proved to be unforgettable come on a couple of times as a substitute but I hadn't started the game and then Chris nickel the manager came up to me it's about 11 o'clock off 11 just as I was about to have them have a pretty much meal and said to me you playing you're in dreams wasn't it was just I could never imagine - going into the first team against an arsenal siding and score hat-trick it at 17 I remember my old youth team manager Dave Barrington they had me in the next morning cleaning the kit which was I saw bring me back down to earth but looking back it was a great thing to do despite his outstanding debut Shearer was integrated into the synaptic first team slowly yet it was clear he had strength self belief and an eye for gold one header at Old Trafford helped not Manchester United out of the FA Cup to come back up here one day maybe pulling the teams will be a butcher how much we don't so long at the Lord Shira was widely expected to sign for Manchester United but in 1992 it was newly promoted Blackburn Rovers managed by Kenny Dalglish who won the race for his signature for let's take it it was a real coup I'm sure there's people a lot of interested it's intended as ourselves but we're moving him and he's booked him he knew as a person that every bit of a money tip he can and then I've got a call from a representative from Manchester knighted a Dear Leader seeing that they were interested in me and I never heard anything back so for me the allegation that I've turned money she let you down twice is is not quite correct Blackburn was basically my only option financed by local multi-millionaire Jack Walker Blackburn Pater then British record fee of three point six million pounds for Shearer the second season saw Blackburn finished runners-up to Manchester United but Shira scored 31 goals from 40 games and won the Football Writers Player of the Year award we weren't the best team in the world ability wise but what we had better than anyone else was a incredible team spirit and in 1994 the arrival of a new strike partner Chris Sutton from Norwich City pointed towards a changing of the guard at the top of English football you know our strengths were at Blackburn we had two good wing is in Jason Wilcox and Stuart Ripley and you know I think it's fair to say you know myself and Alan wolf were quite physical players we had just had that that understanding and it worked it worked incredibly well and we both played well scored goals and it was successful the games which stick out in my mind was that season with a man united games it was fierce rivalry there because we we came into the big league and took the big boys on and succeeded and of course when that happens people aren't gonna like it Manchester United won home and away when the club's met in the league Tim Sherwood's late equaliser controversially ruled out for a foul by Shearer on Roy King as the season nears its climax and the pressure intensified Blackburn's challenge faltered but against Newcastle she returned the time that was certainly again we didn't deserve to win but that's when you need your big players coming to the fore and you know possibly that was the most important goal in his career I still think it's a foul but you know that's what I was all about you know it makes sure that he was there first and he was the one that wanted it or did so much to get it in the back of the net the league title would go to the final day and with a two-point advantage over their rivals Blackburn knew that victory against Liverpool would see them crowned Premier League champions my mindset at the moment was how would we over ever get over this if if we lost it from this position I remember it as if it was yesterday going to Anfield knowing that we if we want it unfilled then the league was ours of course we didn't win it unfilled we got off to a good start we went in one nil and then the last few minutes it was one all and then Jamie Redknapp and John Barnes scored for Liverpool and then the beetus 2-1 and I'll remember everyone's faces at the back looking at the supporters thinking we've thrown the league away and then I can just remember euphoria that we've heard the final whistle had got it and they've gone at Upton Park and man unites it hadn't been able to where to beat West Ham and they caught our result Anfield was was irrelevant with we'd warmly Jack Walker's dream had been realized his record investment in / Shira and then Sutton led to a league partnership worth forty nine goals shira's tally of thirty four led to his fellow professional voting him Player of the Year he had won his first major trophy and the potential for more was obvious but that summit Kenny Dalglish stepped down as manager of Blackburn to become director of football right Harford took over I didn't have any inclination of him going upstairs to be directed a football despite my huge respect for my love foot for real Harford probably one of the best coaches I've had oh it did have in my career but when you're in a position of strength you have to bring in for it to freshen it up two or three big-name players and how much our rears mistake was I think he said he'd give the guy's a chance who won the league and and I think we peered for that the following season Blackburn's Palme was indifferent eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage they finished seventh in the Premier League shira's gold scoring continued he was again the divisions top scorer with 31 goals at the youth at Southampton his horn had brought international recognition in 1990 13 goals in 11 games for England under-21s led to a first senior cap against France in 1992 I just remember walking out when we and looking around and I just thought wow this is just incredible I just loved it I loved the buzz off of putting that putting that England shirt on incredible it proved to be a dream start Shearer scored the first and created the second for strike partner Gary Lineker to be honest it's a dream come true my mum waiting for someone to wear knocking on the head and wake me up back page headlines followed his debut but England's malaise under manager Graham Taylor saw them failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup two years later football came home Euro 96 was held in England the excitement mounted but Shearer hadn't scored an international goal for two years Les Ferdinand and Robbie Fowler were the men in form for their country Terry Venables so it pulled me to one side before a training session and he said to me whatever happens you will start Euro 96 you will be the number nine my centre forward in that first game those words were exactly what Shearer needed to hear despite a tide of media pressure against his selection Venable stood firm whilst many others may have been informed sheera remained the managers trusted choice they were actually you know biting at the bit to get in there and I know that the guys that got their chance would have to they would have to really do well or keep these other guys out and they did thankfully I got off to a good start and scored in the first game and the course the conference was open I wanted to get out and play and prove a point to all the people that had been saying well he shouldn't start leave him out shira's first half goal against Switzerland was the perfect report but better was to follow he opened the scoring against Scotland before Paul Gascoigne sealed a to nil win their final group opponents were the Dutch and their formidable iyx stars who'd won the Champions League a year earlier but we did tear him apart because of the way we played and the confidence that those boys played whew it was a brilliant performance augmented by the link-up play between Shira and Teddy Sheringham who complimented into this game he knew my game I knew his he a lot of the time he would like to go short and get the ball which which left me one on one and one on one I fancied my chances after defeating Spain on penalties England faced Germany in the semi-final at Wembley England and Shearer made the perfect start a brilliant because it was a set piece that would worked on tiny atoms it got to the near post flicked it on and of course Alan is its timing is exceptionally good he just got ahead of the defender John defender and stuck it in the back of Germany leveled through Stefan Kunz and despite some near misses most notably Paul Gascoigne agonizing lunge in extra time the game would be decided on penalties I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy to to go and stand there in front of er ninety thousand knowing there's twenty or thirty million people watching thankfully mine went in but I mean I felt for I felt for Gareth that his was the the crucial miss but you know not blame attached to anyone taking penalties at least they've got up showing the courage to get up there and taking sheera finished Euro 96 as the tournament's top scorer his five goals earning the Golden Boot Award his form had made him one of Europe's top strikers a fact not lost on the owner of Blackburn Rovers Jack Walker he actually offered me the the manager's job which was was never going to happen because it's such a young age and but I suppose in in in desperation to to keep me there sports it Kevin Keegan spoke to Alex Ferguson and then I came back in and flew to Jersey to go and see Jack and and I said to him I want to leave New Castle said that there would there would appear the 15 million pound the team that I've always dreamt of playing for seeing us support that watched every single week as a kid dreamt of wearing the number 9 shirt I had to make the tough call to ring Alex and and see her at mid mind up when I was going to go back to New Castle what term strangely enough he never answered my forms I had to leave a message the transfer fee of 15 million pounds meant the 26 year old was now the world's most expensive player and his unveiling in front of 15,000 fans vindicated his decision step in not bulking I just looked out and I seen thousands and thousand I mean I don't our money was there fifteen sixteen thousand and for them to turn up and just to see one guy suppose I was I was honoured manager Kevin Keegan believed in an attacking philosophy Shira would partner Les Ferdinand in the one season we played together at Newcastle I think I got we got forty nine goals as a partnership because the one thing Kevin Keegan had done was he said that team up to be an all-out attacking team so we always knew that in a game we were going to get chances sheera marked his home debut with a goal against Wimbledon and the season was still in its infancy when the champions Manchester United arrived at st. James's Park started off a boy and we did that in previous games against Manchester knife and then someone normally called a fire brigade and put that fire out but um the fire continued to burn and um in the end it was abruptly I always stick off the off the Manchester night funds whether that was it it all Trafford or whether that was it it's in gingers Park and I can remember me getting the ball and in here and the little bit of criticism that they gave me so that's why I think I did that stupid dance after the cross yeah and let's score a great goal the five mil demolition of Manchester United hinted that a Newcastle resurgence but you would have predicted what happened next we played Blackburn on Boxing Day away from home and we hadn't played as well as Keegan would have wanted I think we ended up losing the game and he said he said at the end of the game I'm not sure if I'm getting through to a lot you plies now I think was like during that week yeah he resigned there was no sign of Kevin Keegan today after his resignation as manager of Newcastle United to this day I still don't nor the real reason why-y-y Kevin left shira's former Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish replaced Keegan and the strikers tremendous form continued he was top scorer in the Premier League for the third consecutive season with 25 goals including a hat-trick at home to left the city as Newcastle trailed 31 with 15 minutes remaining it looked as if they could sustain a serious challenge for the Premier League title but during preseason Ferdinand had been sold to Tottenham Hotspur and Shearer suffered a devastating ankle injury I just thought here we go again knowing me I was gonna be out for another six seven eight month was was hard with his talismanic striker absent Dog Leashes fortune his way he was replaced by Dutch superstar Ruud Hollett in the autumn of 1998 sparking wild excitement among the fans but less so insurance I just remember my first meeting with rude I thought I think we were our problems in we might have we I'm not sure he he particularly likes me I think the problem with with Ruud Noah was good two big pillows and just maybe druid was threatened by Newcastle plummeted in the league the situation came to a head during a dramatic Derby match with rivals Sunderland bullet dropped Shira and fellow striker Duncan Ferguson to the sub bench was New Castle's biggest game this season Sunderland and of course it created a stir left me out he left me on the bench we were winning one nil if it is feared one nil I think the diet that the shift in power would have definitely gone to wards room and I think if new casters one lucky there was a possibility on for the left Andrew Burstein we got beat would be nice on a poor run and then he got sucked two days later I remember going in and I thought I'm gonna get into the office really early and and and find out why he left me out and I think I got in there at about quarter past year I was too late big Duncan Ferguson had already beat me to it he he was shout shouting and swearing on him before that was on the international stage Glenn Hoddle had replaced Terry Venables after Euro 96 an insurer he saw a leader forget the golden boots forget the goals forget the premier league to be named England captain with the armband and walk our women leading your team oh I don't think it gets any bigger or any better than that Shearer led England through qualification to the 1998 World Cup but the tournament was short-lived his only World Cup experience ended after a dramatic penalty shootout to Argentina in the second round who years later having overcome several serious injuries and following England's elimination from Euro 2000 sheera announced his retirement from international football his England tally ended on 30 goals from 63 games placing him alongside Sir Tom Finney and that Lofthouse but a sense of frustration still lingers desperately wish we could won you a 96 that was the the main tournament and I'm pretty convinced that I know it's an eighth book if we had to beat Germany and in the semi-final that we would have won it but it wasn't to be with Newcastle the turmoil continued the excitement of the keegan era had turned to disenchantment Bobby Robson was brought in to replace around Holly it wasn't a happy dressing-room we were bottom of the league and I remember them them going out and getting Bobby Robson as manager he said to me a plan you face not too much give a defender a problem start running and behind start putting with a smile on your face again and we will create chances for you and his first home game bobbies we beat Sheffield Wednesday who were at the bottom league with it we beat the me at nail and I scored thighs from going from bottom of the league we were now challenging for Champions League places and that was dauntless for Bobby Robson Newcastle's returned to the Champions League in 2002 was initially underwhelming but shira's penalty against Dynamo Kyiv resurrected their fortunes he scored five more goals in the tournament including a hat-trick again by 11 yet one goal in his career stands out more than any other people often ask me all the years what was my year my best goal I mean I don't even know why to this day I hit it I mean because it coming down in the air and I mean if you if I tried that in training hundred times then probably ninety nine and a half maybe hundred that you it would go on the back row the stand but there's a time when you hit a ball but you think it's God it's got chance of going in this and it didn't it was it was it was a good strike one I enjoy the ends Everton that was probably my best one he's ten years in the black and white stripes saw him surpassed the scoring record of Newcastle's other football guard Jackie Milburn on February the 4th 2006 in front of the Gallowgate end Shearer scored his two hundred and first goal for Newcastle United you ask Alan you could give him all the trophies all the medals and while it's not nice if you sort of sit him what would you rather have I'm pretty sure I'd know which one he pick for me a scruffy guy that ladder was brought up in Newcastle and it was just dream to be a footballer his dream to play for Newcastle and for for me to go on and and get them have that record is I'm so honored and proud and pleased everywhere to have done it you Alan Shearer bowed out of the game a bloodied goalscoring hero ruthless brave clinical and with a record total of 260 Premier League goals that will perhaps never be broken can I see anybody beaten up no I have to be honest I don't think so not just a bit weren't actually easier they kept a huge amount of money that's what got inviting me to happy I know I would have had more trophies gone to two United would have been happier I'm not sure to continue to do it for a year after year after year after year I think he's right up there with the best when you try to go through the different eras of place - there were great players but you know Alan is certainly up there with the best which brought when every record was cut and every side he's been with he's taking penalties with every so deeply he backs himself you know there's no doubt about that and and that's that's why he is who he is just unrivaled was a fantastic leader on an off the page I mean somebody who is very humble as well did it my way I live my dream it was always my dream to play for him and to wear the number 9 shirt I achieved my dream so what have I got to regret

Channel: REDWING12

Views: 506,939

Keywords: Blackburn Rovers F.C. (Football Team), Newcastle United F.C. (Football Team), Southampton F.C. (Football Team), Football (Interest), ALAN SHEARER, ENGLAND NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

Id: JLqqscNW8NA

Length: 26min 9sec (1569 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 30 2015