Alan Shearer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alan Shearer CBE DL
Shearer in 2008
Born	(1970-08-13) 13 August 1970 (age 54) Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Occupation	Football pundit, footballer
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Spouse(s)	Lainya Shearer ​ ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	3
Alan Shearer Personal information Playing position Striker Youth career 000 Wallsend Boys Club 1986–1988 Southampton Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1988–1992 Southampton 118 (23) 1992–1996 Blackburn Rovers 138 (112) 1996–2006 Newcastle United 303 (148) Total 559 (283) National team 1990–1992 England U21 11 (13) 1992 England B 1 (0) 1992–2000 England 63 (30) Teams managed 2009 Newcastle United (interim) Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Alan Shearer (born 13 August 1970) is a famous English football expert and former player. He was a striker, known for scoring many goals. Many people think he is one of the best strikers ever and one of the greatest players in Premier League history. He holds the record for the most goals in the Premier League, with 260 goals!

Shearer won important awards like the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1994 and the PFA Player of the Year in 1995. In 1996, he was one of the top three players for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé included him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's best living players. In 2021, Alan Shearer was one of the first two players to join the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Alan Shearer played his whole career in England's top football league. He started at Southampton in 1988. Then, he moved to Blackburn Rovers in 1992. There, he became known as one of Europe's best goalscorers and helped Blackburn win the Premier League title in 1995.

In 1996, he joined his hometown club, Newcastle United, for a record-breaking £15 million. In his first season there, he won his third Premier League Golden Boot in a row. He played in the FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999, even captaining the team in the second one. He eventually became Newcastle United's top goalscorer of all time. He stopped playing football at the end of the 2005–06 season.

For the England national team, Shearer played 63 games and scored 30 goals. His biggest success with England was at UEFA Euro 1996. England reached the semi-finals, and Shearer won the UEFA European Championship Golden Boot for scoring the most goals. He was also named in the UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament. He later captained England at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 before retiring from international football.

After stopping his playing career in 2006, Shearer became a football expert for the BBC on TV. In 2009, he briefly became Newcastle United's manager for the last eight games of the 2008–09 season. He tried to save them from being relegated, but it wasn't successful. Alan Shearer has also received special honours like being a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland. He is also a Freeman of Newcastle upon Tyne and has honorary degrees from two universities.

Alan Shearer's Early Life

Alan Shearer was born on 13 August 1970 in Gosforth, which is part of Newcastle upon Tyne. His dad, Alan, worked with sheet metal, and his parents were from a working class background. His father encouraged him to play football when he was young, and Alan continued playing through school. He went to Gosforth Central Middle School and Gosforth High School.

When he was growing up, he played football on the streets of his hometown. He started as a midfielder because he wanted to be more involved in the game. Alan was the captain of his school team. He also helped a Newcastle City Schools team win a seven-a-side tournament at St James' Park, which is Newcastle United's stadium.

Later, as a teenager, he joined the amateur Wallsend Boys Club. While playing there, a scout from Southampton, named Jack Hixon, noticed him. This led to Alan spending his summers training with Southampton's youth team. He later said this time was "the making of me." He had successful trials with other top clubs like West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City, and Newcastle United. But in April 1986, he chose to sign a youth contract with Southampton.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Southampton (1986–1992)

After two years with the youth team, Shearer joined Southampton's main team. He played his first professional game on 26 March 1988 as a substitute against Chelsea. Two weeks later, in his first full game at The Dell, he made national news. He scored three goals, known as a hat-trick, helping his team win 4–2 against Arsenal. This made him the youngest player ever, at 17 years and 240 days old, to score a hat-trick in England's top league. He broke a record that had stood for 30 years! Shearer finished the 1987–88 season with three goals in five games and was given his first professional contract.

Even with such a great start, Shearer was slowly brought into the main team. He played only ten games without scoring the next season. At Southampton, Shearer was known for his strength. This helped him keep the ball and create chances for his teammates. Playing as a single striker with Rod Wallace and Matt Le Tissier on the wings, he scored three goals in 26 games in the 1989–90 season. The next season, he scored four goals in 36 games. Southampton fans quickly noticed his strong performances and voted him their Player of the Year in 1991.

In mid-1991, Shearer was part of the England under-21 squad for the Toulon Tournament in France. He was the star of the tournament, scoring seven goals in four games. During the 1991–92 season, Shearer became very well known across the country. He scored 13 goals in 41 games for Southampton, which led to him being called up to the England senior team. He even scored in his first game for England. Many news reports linked him to a move to Manchester United that summer.

In July 1992, Shearer was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £3.6 million. This was a record fee for a British player at the time. David Speedie also moved to Southampton as part of the deal. Shearer was almost 22 years old and had become the most expensive player in British football. In his four years at Southampton, he played 158 games and scored 43 goals.

Winning the League with Blackburn Rovers (1992–1996)

Even though England didn't get past the group stages at UEFA Euro 1992, Shearer soon became the subject of a record-breaking transfer. Blackburn Rovers paid £3.6 million for him. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was also interested, but Blackburn's owner, Jack Walker, spent enough money to bring Shearer to Ewood Park in mid-1992.

On 15 August 1992, the first weekend of the first Premier League season, Shearer scored two goals against Crystal Palace. He missed half of his first season with Blackburn due to a serious knee injury in December 1992. However, he still scored 16 goals in the 21 games he played. Shearer also became a regular player for England that season. He scored his second international goal in a 4–0 win over Turkey in November.

When he returned to full fitness for the 1993–94 season, he scored 31 goals in 40 games. Blackburn finished second in the Premier League that year. Because of his great performances, he was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year. England did not qualify for the 1994 World Cup, but Shearer scored three more goals for his country.

The arrival of Chris Sutton for the 1994–95 season created a very strong attacking duo at Blackburn. Shearer scored 34 goals, and Sutton scored 15. This helped Blackburn win the Premier League title on the very last day of the season, beating their rivals Manchester United. The two strikers were nicknamed "the SAS" (Shearer And Sutton). Shearer also played in European football for the first time in the UEFA Cup that season. He scored a goal, but Blackburn lost in the first round. For his efforts, Shearer won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 1995.

Blackburn could not win the title again the next year. However, Shearer was still the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals in 35 games. Blackburn finished seventh in the league. Their first-place finish the previous season meant they also played in the Champions League. Shearer scored one goal in six Champions League games, a penalty in a 4–1 win against Rosenborg BK. Blackburn finished last in their group and did not move on.

He reached 100 goals for Blackburn in all competitions on 23 September 1995. He scored three goals in a 5–1 home win against Coventry City. On 30 December, he scored his 100th Premier League goal, becoming the first player to reach this milestone. This happened in a 2–1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur. His final numbers for Blackburn were 112 goals in the Premier League and 130 goals in all competitions. His last goals for the club were on 17 April 1996, when he scored twice in a 3–2 home league win against Wimbledon.

Shearer's goal-scoring for England had slowed down, with no goals in the twelve games before Euro 96. He missed the last three games of the season for Blackburn due to an injury, but he recovered in time to play for England in the European Championship.

Becoming a Legend at Newcastle United (1996–2006)

After Euro 96, Manchester United and Real Madrid both wanted to sign Shearer. However, Blackburn Rovers did not want him to go to those clubs. In the end, Shearer joined his childhood favourite team: Newcastle United, who were rivals of Manchester United for the league title.

On 30 July 1996, Alan Shearer joined his hometown club, Newcastle United. This move cost £15 million, which was a world record transfer fee at the time. His hero, Kevin Keegan, was the manager of Newcastle.

Shearer's 2019 validated equivalent (£222m) in comparison to top transfer records in 2023

Rank	Player	From	To	Fee	Year	Ref.
1	Alan Shearer	Blackburn	Newcastle	£222m	1996
2	Neymar	Barcelona	Paris Saint-Germain	£198m	2017
3	Kylian Mbappé	Monaco	Paris Saint-Germain	£163m	2018		4	João Félix	Benfica	Atlético Madrid	£112.9	2019

Shearer played his first league game for Newcastle away at Everton on 17 August 1996. He continued his great form throughout the season. He finished as the Premier League's top scorer for the third season in a row, with 25 goals in 31 games. He also won another PFA Player of the Year award, even though a groin injury made him miss seven matches. One of his best games that season was on 2 February 1997. Newcastle was losing 3–1 at home to Leicester City with only 15 minutes left. Shearer then scored a hat-trick to win the game 4–3. Newcastle finished second in the league for the second year in a row, but they still couldn't win the title. Kevin Keegan, his manager, left the club during the season.

Another injury, this time to his ankle ligaments, happened in a pre-season game. This limited Shearer to just two goals in 17 games in the 1997–98 season. Newcastle's performance also suffered because of his injury, and they finished 13th in the Premier League. To help Shearer recover, the club's physiotherapist, Paul Ferris, used special training methods. Newcastle (now managed by Kenny Dalglish, Shearer's former Blackburn manager) had a good run in the FA Cup. Shearer scored the winning goal in a semi-final against Sheffield United, helping the team reach the final. However, they lost the final 2–0 to Arsenal at Wembley.

Shearer after the FA Cup final defeat in 1998

Shearer played almost the whole 1998–99 season without injury. He scored 14 goals in 30 league games and became the new captain of Newcastle, taking over from Rob Lee. However, Newcastle finished 13th again. Ruud Gullit had replaced Kenny Dalglish as manager early in the season. Shearer also helped Newcastle reach a second FA Cup final in a row. He scored twice in the semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur. But they lost 2–0 again, this time to treble-winning Manchester United.

On the first day of the 1999–2000 season, Shearer received the first red card of his career in his 100th game for Newcastle. After Gullit benched Shearer in a loss against Sunderland, the unpopular manager resigned. Bobby Robson, who was 66, took over. Robson had tried to sign Shearer for Barcelona in 1997 with a £20 million offer, which would have been another world record fee for Shearer. But Kenny Dalglish, Newcastle's manager at the time, rejected the offer.

In Robson's first game in charge, Shearer scored five goals in an amazing 8–0 win against Sheffield Wednesday. With Robson as manager, the team moved away from the relegation zone and finished in the middle of the league table. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, but lost to Chelsea. Shearer missed only one league game that season and scored 23 goals.

Shearer had a difficult 2000–01 season due to injuries. He had retired from international football after UEFA Euro 2000 to focus on his club. He only managed five goals in 19 league games. The 2001–02 season was much better. Shearer scored 23 goals in 37 league games, and Newcastle finished fourth. This meant they would play in the Champions League the next season. One memorable moment was when Roy Keane was sent off after a clash with Shearer during Newcastle's 4–3 win over Manchester United in September 2001. Shearer also received a red card for the second time in his career that season, but this decision was later overturned.

The 2002–03 season saw Shearer and Newcastle return to the UEFA Champions League. Newcastle lost their first three games in the group stage. However, Shearer's goal against Dynamo Kyiv, along with wins against Juventus and Feyenoord, helped the club move to the second group stage.

"I know at first hand how fierce the gladiatorial battles are between a striker and defenders. So, to maintain your performance as a top class goalscorer over a long period of time takes phenomenal dedication, self belief and enormous willpower. If you then throw in a number of serious injuries...how many? Three? And for the man to still be producing at the highest level is really an amazing feat. After a match against Juventus I met Alex Del Piero who like myself could only speak in the most glowing of terms about Shearer. He'd terrorised the Juve defenders when the clubs met in Newcastle. They found him one of the most difficult opponents they had ever faced. The coach Marcello Lippi had been purring about Shearer's performance. So much so that his strikers Alex, David (Trezeguet) and Marcelo (Salas) were ordered to take home videos and study Shearer's display."

Shearer scored a Champions League hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen and two goals against Inter Milan in the second group stage. This brought his Champions League goal total to seven. He also scored 17 goals in 35 league games, making a total of 25 goals for the season. The team improved again, finishing third in the Premier League.

Shearer training in 2005

Newcastle had one more chance to play in the Champions League in early 2003. But Shearer and his teammates failed to score in a penalty shootout against Partizan Belgrade, and they were knocked out. Newcastle did well in that season's UEFA Cup. Shearer's six goals helped the club reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Olympique de Marseille. In the league, he also had a good season, with 22 goals in 37 games. However, the club finished fifth, missing out on Champions League spots but qualifying for the UEFA Cup again.

Shearer announced that the 2004–05 season would be his last before retirement. His form was mixed that year. Alongside new signing Patrick Kluivert, he scored only seven goals in 28 games, and the club finished 14th. They did better in cup competitions, reaching the UEFA Cup quarter-finals (losing to Sporting CP) and the FA Cup semi-finals (losing to Manchester United). Shearer scored three goals in a first-round win against Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin. He ended the season with 11 European goals, plus one goal in domestic cups.

In mid-2005, Shearer changed his mind about retiring after manager Graeme Souness convinced him to stay. He decided to keep playing as a player-coach until the end of the next season. So, he returned for one more season in 2005–06. In this final season, he broke Jackie Milburn's 49-year-old record of 200 goals for Newcastle United. He scored his 201st goal in a home Premier League game against Portsmouth on 4 February 2006. This made him the club's all-time top goalscorer in league and cup competitions, with 201 goals in total.

On 17 April 2006, with three games left in his final season, Shearer suffered a knee injury during a 4–1 win at Sunderland. He scored his 206th and final goal in that game, which was his 395th appearance for the club. The injury meant he missed the last three games, bringing his retirement forward. Shearer finished his last season with 10 goals in 32 league games.

A Special Goodbye: His Testimonial

Banner in tribute to Shearer outside St James' Park. Marking his 10 years at the club, it was displayed for three weeks during April and May 2006.

To honour Alan Shearer's amazing contribution to Newcastle United over more than ten years, the club put up a huge banner of him outside St James' Park. The banner was 25 meters high and 32 meters wide, covering almost half of the Gallowgate End stand. It was placed above the club's pub, Shearer's Bar, which opened in his honour in 2005. The banner showed Shearer as the "Gallowgate Giant," with one arm raised in his famous goal celebration. It said, "Thanks for 10 great years." This banner was shown from 19 April 2006 until 11 May 2006, the day of his special testimonial match.

Shearer mosaic created by the fans during his testimonial match in 2006

Newcastle United gave Shearer a testimonial match against the Scottish team Celtic. All the money raised from the match went to charity. Because of the injury he got three games earlier, Shearer couldn't play the whole match. But he kicked off the game and later came on as a substitute to score a penalty. Newcastle won the game 3–2. The stadium was completely full, and Shearer did a lap of honour with his family at the end. His young son covered his ears because of how loud the crowd cheered for him.

Playing for England

Shearer's international career began in 1990 when he was called up to the England under-21 squad. He scored 13 goals in 11 games for them, which is still a record. His goals at this level and his good club form quickly led to him joining the senior England team. He scored in his first game for England, a 2–0 win against France in February 1992. He also played one game for the England B team a month later. Shearer was meant to replace Gary Lineker, who retired from international football after UEFA Euro 1992. However, Shearer played only sometimes in the qualifying games for the 1994 FIFA World Cup due to injury, and England did not qualify for the tournament.

UEFA Euro 1996 was a much better experience for Shearer and England. As England were the hosts, they didn't need to qualify. Shearer hadn't scored in 12 games for England in the 21 months before the tournament. His overall goal record for England wasn't very impressive yet, with five goals in 23 games. But he scored in the 22nd minute of the first game, against Switzerland. He scored once against Scotland and twice in a 4–1 win over the Netherlands. These goals helped England move to the next stage in front of their home fans at Wembley.

In the quarter-finals, England were outplayed by Spain but managed a 0–0 draw. The game went to a penalty shootout. Shearer scored England's first penalty, and Spain missed two of theirs, sending England to the semi-final against Germany. Shearer headed England into the lead after three minutes, but Germany quickly equalised. The match went to penalties again. This time, Germany won. Shearer scored his penalty, but his teammate Gareth Southgate missed, and England were knocked out. Shearer's five goals made him the top scorer of the tournament. He was also chosen for the official UEFA team of the tournament, along with his teammate Paul Gascoigne.

The new England manager, Glenn Hoddle, made Shearer captain for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova on 1 September 1996. Shearer kept the captaincy after scoring once in that game and twice in the next game against Poland. He scored a total of five goals in England's successful qualification campaign for the World Cup, including goals against Georgia and away to Poland. Shearer was injured for much of the 1997–98 season but recovered to play in the World Cup finals. He scored England's first goal of the tournament in a 2–0 win over Tunisia. This was his only goal in the three group matches.

England faced their long-time rivals Argentina in the second round. Shearer scored a penalty to equalise in the first half. The game ended 2–2, and went to penalties. Shearer scored again, but England were eliminated after David Batty's shot was saved. This defeat ended England's journey in what was Shearer's only World Cup tournament.

In September 1999, Shearer scored his only England hat-trick in a UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier against Luxembourg. This helped England reach a play-off against Scotland. England won that two-legged game and qualified for the European Championship. By this time, Shearer was almost 30 years old. He announced that he planned to retire from international football after the Euro 2000 tournament.

Shearer did not score in England's first game at Euro 2000, a 3–2 loss against Portugal. But he did score when England beat Germany 1–0 in Charleroi. This was the first time England had beaten Germany in a competitive match since the 1966 World Cup final. To stay in the tournament, England only needed a draw against Romania in the final group match. Shearer scored a penalty, and England were leading 2–1 at half-time. However, Romania eventually won 3–2. England's tournament was over, and so was Shearer's international career. In his 63 games for England, he was captain 34 times and scored 30 goals. He is tied with Nat Lofthouse and Tom Finney on the England all-time goalscorers list. Shearer stayed retired from international football, even though there was talk of him returning for the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship. He also turned down an offer to be assistant manager to Steve McClaren after the 2006 World Cup.

How Alan Shearer Played

Alan Shearer is seen as one of the best strikers ever and one of the greatest players in Premier League history. He was often called a classic English centre-forward. This was because of his strength, strong body, amazing heading ability, and powerful shot. These qualities made him a very successful goalscorer. Out of his 206 goals for Newcastle, 49 were scored with his head.

Earlier in his career, especially at Southampton, Shearer played a more creative role. He would create chances for other strikers and run into open spaces. This was due to his ability to link up with teammates, his hard work, and his early training as a midfielder. Later in his career, as he got older and lost some of his speed, Shearer played more as a pure forward. He was good at holding the ball up, often acting as a target man to pass the ball to other players.

While his strength helped him keep the ball, his playing style sometimes received criticism. People sometimes said his play was too physical and that he used his elbows too much. This led to both of his red cards, though one was later cancelled. Besides his playing skills, he was also known for his strong leadership throughout his career.

Shearer was known for being a very good penalty taker for both his clubs and country. He scored 45 penalties for Newcastle, where he was always the first choice to take them. With 56 goals from 67 attempts, he is the most successful penalty-taker in Premier League history. He also scored five goals from free-kicks for Newcastle. He was known for his accuracy and powerful shots from outside the penalty area, whether from set-pieces or open play.

His Time as a Manager

Before Managing Newcastle

When Shearer retired as a player, people wondered if he would immediately become a coach. He said he wanted to take some time off to "enjoy life" for a couple of years. He also mentioned that he would like to become a manager "when the time was right." As of March 2009, he had not yet started the UEFA Pro Licence course, which is needed to manage a team in the Premier League and European competitions.

Because he wanted personal time off, he turned down a coaching role with England in July 2006. He said this was because of his BBC work and his desire to be away from the pressure of a football job. Despite this, news reports often linked Shearer to managing or coaching positions at his three former clubs.

Shearer briefly helped out as a coach for his last three games under manager Glenn Roeder. He had turned down offers to be a coach or assistant manager at Newcastle from both Kevin Keegan in February 2008 and Joe Kinnear in November 2008. Shearer had talked about a full-time manager's role at Newcastle before, but he was never offered it until 1 April 2009.

Managing Newcastle United

In a surprising move on 1 April 2009, it was announced that Shearer would become the manager of his old club, Newcastle United. He would manage for the last eight games of the season. He took over from head coach Chris Hughton, who was in temporary charge while the permanent manager, Joe Kinnear, recovered from heart surgery. Shearer said, "It's a club I love and I don't want them to go down. I'll do everything I can to stop that."

The club's managing director, Derek Llambias, introduced Shearer at a press conference the next day. Shearer explained that he would not have taken a managerial role at any other club in this situation, not even his two other former Premier League clubs. Llambias said that Shearer would be manager for the remaining eight games, and Joe Kinnear would return after the season ended. Shearer confirmed that the BBC had given him an 8-week break from his Match of the Day TV role. Llambias also confirmed that Dennis Wise had left his executive role at the club. Shearer said that Wise's departure had nothing to do with him. Shearer accepted the offer on the condition that he could bring in Iain Dowie as his assistant. He also brought in Paul Ferris to look after the club's medical, physio, and diet matters. Ferris had worked with Shearer when he was a player.

Shearer's first game as manager was a 2–0 loss against Chelsea at St James' Park. On 11 April, Newcastle earned their first point under Shearer with a 1–1 draw against Stoke City. Andy Carroll scored a late goal to equalise. After a loss to Tottenham Hotspur and a draw against Portsmouth, his first win for Newcastle came in a 3–1 victory over Middlesbrough. This win lifted Newcastle out of the relegation zone.

On the last day of the season, 24 May, Newcastle faced the risk of being relegated to the Championship. This would end their 16-year stay in the Premier League. After losing 1–0 at Aston Villa, Newcastle were relegated along with local rivals Middlesbrough. West Bromwich Albion had already been relegated. Sunderland and Hull City managed to stay in the Premier League. Shearer's eight games as manager resulted in only five points out of a possible twenty-four.

Shearer did not get the manager's job permanently. Chris Hughton took over to lead Newcastle back into the Premier League. They achieved this in their first attempt, finishing top of the Championship in the 2009–10 season.

Life Outside Football

His Family Life

Shearer with his wife and children at his testimonial match in May 2006

Shearer met his wife, Lainya, while playing for Southampton. They lived with her parents in the city during his second year at the club. They got married on 8 June 1991 at St James' Church, West End, near Southampton. They have three children together. Shearer has said his wife is a quiet person who doesn't like the public attention his fame brings. He mentioned that not wanting to move his family was a main reason he stayed in England during his career. He had chances to move to Juventus or Barcelona when he left Blackburn. In May 2006, his family joined him on the pitch at St James' Park as he walked around to thank the fans after his testimonial match.

Special Awards and Honours

Shearer's statue outside St James' Park, featuring him performing his signature goal celebration

On 6 December 2000, Shearer was given the Honorary Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. This was to recognise his role as captain of Newcastle United and former captain of England, which helped the city's reputation. Shearer was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001 and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016. These awards were for his charity work in North East England.

On 4 December 2006, Northumbria University gave Shearer an honorary degree called Doctor of Civil Law. The university's vice-chancellor said that "Throughout his career Alan Shearer has been hard-working, committed, disciplined and focused in his endeavours, fighting back from career-threatening injuries with great determination and courage."

On 1 October 2009, Shearer became a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland. This means he can stand in for the Duchess of Northumberland at official events when she is not available. Deputies must live close to Northumberland and keep their role until they are 75. The Duchess said Alan was a perfect choice because he is an "iconic person" and a "real role model" for his football and charity work.

On 7 December 2009, Newcastle University also made Shearer a Doctor of Civil Law. The Chancellor said, "Alan Shearer is more than just a local legend, he's probably one of the greatest footballers of all time." On 12 September 2016, a statue of Shearer was revealed outside St James' Park. It was made by Tom Maley and paid for by the Shepherd family.

On 26 April 2021, Shearer was announced as the first person to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Working in Media

Shearer in Banbury during a cycling marathon

After he retired from playing, Alan Shearer became a regular football expert for the BBC's Match of the Day TV show. He also worked as part of the BBC team covering the World Cups and European Championships from 2006 onwards.

In September 2008, news reports said that Newcastle's owner, Mike Ashley, had removed Shearer from his honorary role as the club's "Sporting Ambassador." However, the club denied these reports.

During his playing career, Shearer appeared in commercials for the sports drink Lucozade. He is one of many famous British athletes who have promoted the brand.

Shearer is also featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was included in FIFA 15 Ultimate Team Legends.

In March 2023, after Gary Lineker was suspended from Match of the Day, Shearer and other experts announced they would not present the next episode. This was to show support for Lineker.

In October 2024, Shearer's famous quote from UEFA Euro 2024, pressure is for tyres, was used by the HarrisWalz campaign.

Helping Others (Charity Work)

Shearer's Newcastle United-themed Paddington Bear statue on display at the Childline offices in London. It was auctioned for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

During his time as a player, Shearer was involved with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). He took part in their Full Stop campaign in 1999. Since retiring from football, Shearer has continued to work for several charities, both across the country and in the Newcastle area.

His testimonial match raised £1.64 million. This money helped fourteen good causes, including £400,000 for the NSPCC and £320,000 to finish the "Alan Shearer Centre." This centre is a special care facility in West Denton, Newcastle. In October 2006, he became an ambassador for the NSPCC, saying it was "the kick-off to my most important role yet." He has also worked with The Dream Foundation. In 2006, Shearer started the Alan Shearer Academy Scholarship to help promising young football players in the region.

In 2008, he raised over £300,000 for Sport Relief by doing a bike ride with fellow Match of the Day presenter Adrian Chiles. Shearer also played and scored twice in Soccer Aid, a game with celebrities and former players at Wembley Stadium in September 2008, to raise money for UNICEF.

On 26 July 2009, Shearer played and scored in the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match. This was a charity match held at St James' Park to honour Bobby Robson and raise money for his cancer charity, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. This was Robson's last public appearance, as he passed away five days later. On 15 October 2009, Shearer became the new patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Shearer goal.

List of international goals scored by Alan Shearer

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	19 February 1992	Wembley Stadium, London	1	France	1–0	2–0	Friendly
2	18 November 1992	Wembley Stadium, London	6	Turkey	2–0	4–0	1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	17 May 1994	Wembley Stadium, London	9	Greece	1–0	5–0	Friendly
4	7 September 1994	Wembley Stadium, London	11	United States	1–0	2–0	Friendly
5					2–0
6	8 June 1996	Wembley Stadium, London	24	Switzerland	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 1996
7	15 June 1996	Wembley Stadium, London	25	Scotland	1–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 1996
8	18 June 1996	Wembley Stadium, London	26	Netherlands	1–0	4–1	UEFA Euro 1996
9					3–0
10	26 June 1996	Wembley Stadium, London	28	Germany	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 1996
11	1 September 1996	Stadionul Republican, Chişinău	29	Moldova	3–0	3–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	9 October 1996	Wembley Stadium, London	30	Poland	1–1	2–1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
13					2–1
14	30 April 1997	Wembley Stadium, London	32	Georgia	2–0	2–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	31 May 1997	Stadion Slaski, Chorzów	33	Poland	1–0	2–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	7 June 1997	Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier	34	France	1–0	1–0	1997 Tournoi de France
17	22 April 1998	Wembley Stadium, London	38	Portugal	1–0	3–0	Friendly
18					3–0
19	15 June 1998	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille	40	Tunisia	1–0	2–0	1998 FIFA World Cup
20	30 June 1998	Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne	43	Argentina	1–1	2–2	1998 FIFA World Cup
21	5 September 1998	Råsundastadion, Stockholm	44	Sweden	1–0	1–2	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
22	14 October 1998	Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City	46	Luxembourg	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
23	28 April 1999	Nepstadion, Budapest	49	Hungary	1–0	1–1	Friendly
24	9 June 1999	Balgarska Armia Stadion, Sofia	51	Bulgaria	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
25	4 September 1999	Wembley Stadium, London	52	Luxembourg	1–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
26					2–0
27					4–0
28	10 October 1999	Stadium of Light, Sunderland	54	Belgium	1–0	2–1	Friendly
29	17 June 2000	Stade du Pays de Charleroi, Charleroi	62	Germany	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2000
30	20 June 2000	Stade du Pays de Charleroi, Charleroi	63	Romania	1–1	2–3	UEFA Euro 2000

Managerial statistics

Team	Nation	From	To	Matches	Won	Drawn	Lost	Win %
Newcastle United	England	1 April 2009	24 May 2009	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.50000012.50

Honours and achievements

Southampton

• Full Members' Cup runner-up: 1991–92

Blackburn Rovers

• Premier League: 1994–95

Newcastle United

• FA Cup runner-up: 1997–98, 1998–99

England U21

• Toulon Tournament: 1991

England

• Tournoi de France: 1997

Individual

• UEFA European Championship Golden Boot: 1996
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
• ESM Team of the Year: 1994–95
• FIFA World Player of the Year – Bronze award: 1996
• Ballon d'Or – Third place: 1996
• PFA Team of the Year: 1991–92 First Division, 1992–93 Premier League, 1993–94 Premier League, 1994–95 Premier League, 1995–96 Premier League, 1996–97 Premier League, 2002–03 Premier League
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1994–95, 1996–97
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 1993–94
• Newcastle United Player of the Year: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03
• Premier League Player of the Year: 1994–95
• Premier League Golden Boot: 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97
• FWA Tribute Award: 2001
• North-East FWA Player of the Year: 2003
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2004
• FIFA 100
• Premier League 10 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2001–02)
  • Domestic and Overall Player of the Decade
  • Domestic and Overall Team of the Decade
  • Outstanding Contribution to the FA Premier League
  • Top Goalscorer (204)
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12)
  • Public choice Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons
  • Panel choice Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons
  • Top Goalscorer (260)
• Premier League Hall of Fame: 2021
• Toulon Tournament 1991
  • Top Goal Scorer
  • Best Player

Records

• Most goals in Premier League history: 260 goals
• Most Premier League goals in a 42-game season: 34
• Most Premier League penalties scored: 56
• Most Premier League goals scored from inside the box: 227
• Most Premier League goals in a single match: 5
• Fewest matches to score 100 Premier League goals: 91 matches
• Top goalscorer in Newcastle United history: 206
• Most European goals scored for Newcastle United: 30

Images for kids

• 

  Shearer's Newcastle United-themed Paddington Bear statue on display at the Childline offices in London. It was auctioned for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

See also

In Spanish: Alan Shearer para niños