| £15 Million...The world record fee Newcastle have paid
Blackburn to secure the services of the top scorer of Euro 96. Shearer born and bred in Newcastle, will be the biggest name at St James' and
should provide Newcastle with the goals to win the Championship.
His first competitive game will come in the Charity Shield
against Manchester United, the club who were desperate to sign Shearer.
Alan Shearer's wonderful 1994-5 season cemented his
position as England's premier striker. He equalled a Premiership record that most
observers thought would stand for years.
When Andy Cole struck 34 goals for Newcastle in 1993-4,
Shearer was the second top scorer. But the apple of Kenny Dalglish's eye equalled Cole's
remarkable feat the very next year, scoring close to half the Champion's goals.
England assistant coach, Don Howe, said of the national
side's centre forward: ``He's a superstar without a superstar's temperament.'' That sums
up the Newcastle-born hero.
Both on and off the pitch, he is a picture of calm
self-control. His first touch is superb, his pace electric and his goal-scoring instincts
deadly - quite simply he has everything a striker needs.
But he is a quiet and unassuming player. Many even call him
boring. Indeed his team-mate Colin Hendry says he keeps a copy of Shearer's `Diary of the
Season' next to his bed. ``It's good snore-making material,'' says the Scottish centre
back.
Shearer's attitude on the pitch makes him a frustrating
proposition for any defence. He is above any intimidation and seldom gets distracted by
any effoert to distract him.
Quite simply, Shearer is a goal machine and he lives to hit
the back of the net. He grabbed two hat-tricks in January in the Championship-winning
season against Ipswich and West Ham and was responsible for the first goal in the game
again and again.
He opened his account in the 1995-6 campaign with a goal
against Queen's Park Rangers on the opening day of the season and notched his first
hat-trick against Coventry in September.
The blond powerhouse helped end Nottingham Forest's
unbeaten 25 match run with a further three at Ewood Park in November.
Although Chris Sutton outscored him in the opening few
games of the 1994-5 season, Shearer soon stamped his authority on the SAS partnership by
outscoring his team-mate by more than two to one by the final day.
His home side of Newcastle failed to recognise his
potential as a goal scorer and put him in goal for his trial! West Bromwich Albion,
Sunderland and Manchester City all turned down the boy-wonder and it was one of the
furthest clubs from home, Southampton that snapped him up.
The Saints eventually allowed him to go to Ewood Park for a
club record £3.6 million in July 1992. Though Chris Sutton has since eclipsed that fee at
the time it seemed a lot of money.
Shearer was an integral part of the set-up at Southampton
but a record of 23 goals in over 100 League appearances didn't prepare anyone for the
explosion to follow.
Shearer has proved that he can score at any level on any
stage and has been an England regular since early 1994. It is surely only a matter of time
before he becomes as prolific at international level as he is for his club.
He is an inspiration on the pitch, can score with either
foot and is just as happy knocking them in with his head. He ended 1994-5 being voted the
PFA Footballer of the Year. |
