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
Association football career Position(s) 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) International career 1990–1992 England U21 11 (13) 1992 England B 1 (0) 1992–2000 England 63 (30) Managerial career 2009 Newcastle United (interim) *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alan Shearer (born 13 August 1970) is a famous English football expert and former professional player. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score 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 scored in the Premier League, with an amazing 260 goals! He won several top awards, including the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1994 and the PFA Player of the Year award in 1995. In 1996, he was even ranked third for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, which are huge honors in football. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé included Shearer in his FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. In 2021, Alan Shearer was one of the first two players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Shearer spent his entire playing career in England's top football league. He started at Southampton in 1988. Then, in 1992, he moved to Blackburn Rovers, where he became known as one of Europe's top goalscorers and helped them win the Premier League title in 1995. In 1996, he joined his hometown club, Newcastle United, for a world record transfer fee of £15 million. In his first season there, he won his third straight Premier League Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals. He also played in the FA Cup finals in 1998 and 1999, becoming Newcastle's all-time top scorer before he retired in 2006.

For the England national team, Shearer played 63 times and scored 30 goals. His biggest success with England was at UEFA Euro 1996, where England reached the semi-finals. Shearer was the top scorer in that tournament and was named in the best team. He later captained England at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 before retiring from international football.

Since he stopped playing in 2006, Shearer has worked as a television expert for the BBC. In 2009, he briefly became Newcastle United's manager for the last eight games of the season, trying to save them from being relegated, but it was not successful. Alan Shearer has also received many honors outside of football, including being a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Alan Shearer was born on 13 August 1970 in Newcastle upon Tyne. His dad, also named Alan, worked with metal sheets. His parents encouraged him to play football when he was young, and he loved it. He played on the streets of his hometown and started as a midfielder because he wanted to be more involved in the game.

Shearer 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 home stadium. 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 Shearer training with Southampton's youth team during his summers, which he later said helped him become the player he was.

Shearer had successful trials with other big clubs like West Bromwich Albion, Manchester City, and Newcastle United. But in April 1986, he accepted a youth contract with Southampton.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Strong 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. At 17 years and 240 days old, he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in England's top league, breaking a 30-year-old record! He finished that season with three goals in five games and earned his first professional contract.

Even with this great start, Southampton slowly brought Shearer into the first team. He was known for his strength, which helped him keep the ball and create chances for his teammates. In the 1990–91 season, fans voted him their Player of the Year.

In 1991, Shearer played for the England under-21 team in a tournament in France. He was the star, scoring seven goals in four games. In the 1991–92 season, he became even more 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 big clubs, like Manchester United, wanted to sign him.

In July 1992, Shearer was sold to Blackburn Rovers for £3.6 million. This was a record fee for a player in British football at the time. In his four years at Southampton, Shearer played 158 games and scored 43 goals.

Winning the League with Blackburn Rovers (1992–1996)

Even though England didn't do well in UEFA Euro 1992, Blackburn Rovers paid a record £3.6 million to sign Shearer. Manchester United also wanted him, but Blackburn's owner, Jack Walker, made sure Shearer came to Ewood Park.

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

In the 1993–94 season, Shearer was back to full fitness and scored 31 goals in 40 games. Blackburn finished second in the Premier League. His great performances earned him the FWA Footballer of the Year award.

The 1994–95 season was amazing for Shearer. With Chris Sutton joining the team, they formed a strong attacking duo nicknamed "the SAS" (Shearer And Sutton). Shearer scored 34 goals, and Sutton scored 15. Their goals helped Blackburn win the Premier League title on the very last day, beating their rivals Manchester United. Shearer also played in the UEFA Cup that season. For his efforts, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 1995.

Even though Blackburn couldn't win the title again the next year, Shearer was still the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals in 35 games. He also played in the Champions League, scoring one goal.

On 23 September 1995, he scored his 100th goal for Blackburn in all competitions, with a hat-trick against Coventry City. On 30 December, he scored his 100th Premier League goal, becoming the first player to reach that milestone. His final total for Blackburn was 112 goals in the Premier League and 130 goals in all competitions.

Becoming a Newcastle Legend (1996–2006)

After Euro 96, big clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid wanted to sign Shearer. But he chose to join his childhood club, Newcastle United, who were managed by his hero, Kevin Keegan.

On 30 July 1996, Shearer joined Newcastle for a world record transfer fee of £15 million. He made his league debut on 17 August 1996 against Everton. He continued his great form, finishing 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. Newcastle finished second in the league that year.

An ankle injury limited Shearer to just two goals in 17 games in the 1997–98 season. Newcastle finished 13th in the league. However, they had a good run in the FA Cup, with Shearer scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against Sheffield United. Newcastle reached the final but lost 2–0 to Arsenal.

Shearer after the FA Cup final defeat in 1998

In the 1998–99 season, Shearer was mostly injury-free. He scored 14 goals in 30 league games and became Newcastle's captain. Newcastle reached another FA Cup final, but again lost 2–0, this time to 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. The manager, Ruud Gullit, was replaced by the experienced Bobby Robson. In Robson's first game in charge, Shearer scored five goals in an amazing 8–0 win against Sheffield Wednesday. With Robson, the team improved and Shearer scored 23 goals that season.

The 2001–02 season was much better for Shearer. He scored 23 goals in 37 league games as Newcastle finished fourth, which meant they qualified for the Champions League.

In the 2002–03 season, Shearer and Newcastle returned to the UEFA Champions League. Newcastle lost their first three matches in the group stage, but Shearer's goal against Dynamo Kyiv and wins against Juventus and Feyenoord helped them move to the next stage. Shearer scored a Champions League hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen and two goals against Inter Milan. He finished the season with seven Champions League goals and 17 in the league, totaling 25 goals. Newcastle finished third in the Premier League.

In the 2003–04 season, Shearer's six goals helped Newcastle reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. He also had a good domestic season, scoring 22 goals in 37 games.

Shearer training in 2005

Shearer had planned to retire after the 2004–05 season, but manager Graeme Souness convinced him to play for one more year as a player-coach. In the 2005–06 season, he broke Jackie Milburn's 49-year-old record of 200 goals for Newcastle United. On 4 February 2006, he scored his 201st goal against Portsmouth, becoming the club's all-time top scorer with 206 goals in 395 games.

On 17 April 2006, with three games left in his final season, Shearer suffered a knee injury during a 4–1 win against Sunderland. He scored his 206th and final goal in that game. The injury meant he missed the last three matches, bringing his retirement forward.

A Special Tribute and Testimonial Match

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 honor Alan Shearer's amazing ten years at Newcastle United, 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 showed Shearer celebrating a goal, with the message "Thanks for 10 great years." It was displayed from 19 April to 11 May 2006, the day of his testimonial match.

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

Shearer was given a special testimonial match against Scottish team Celtic. All the money raised from the match went to charity. Because of his injury, Shearer couldn't play the whole game, but he started the match and later came off the bench to score a penalty, helping Newcastle win 3–2. The stadium was full, and Shearer walked around the pitch with his family at the end, as the crowd cheered loudly to celebrate him.

International Career with England

Shearer's international journey began in 1990 with the England under-21 squad. He scored 13 goals in 11 games, a record that still stands. His great form led to him being called up to the senior England team by manager Graham Taylor. He scored in his first game for England in a 2–0 win against France in February 1992.

UEFA Euro 1996 was a very successful tournament for Shearer and England. He hadn't scored for England in 12 games before the tournament, but he scored in the first game against Switzerland. He scored again against Scotland and twice in a 4–1 win over the Netherlands, helping England reach the next stage. In the quarter-finals, England beat Spain in a penalty shootout, with Shearer scoring the first penalty. In the semi-final against Germany, Shearer scored early, but Germany equalized, and the match went to penalties again. Germany won this time, and England was out. Shearer's five goals made him the top scorer of the tournament, and he was named in the official UEFA team of the tournament.

The new England manager Glenn Hoddle made Shearer captain for a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova in September 1996. Shearer kept the captaincy after scoring in that match and twice against Poland. He scored five goals in total during England's successful qualification for the 1998 World Cup.

Shearer scored England's first goal of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in a 2–0 win over Tunisia. England then faced their rivals Argentina in the second round. Shearer scored a penalty to equalize in the first half. The game ended 2–2, and went to penalties. Shearer scored his penalty, but England lost and were eliminated. This 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, which they won to qualify for the European Championship. Shearer announced that he would retire from international football after the Euro 2000 tournament.

Shearer scored in England's 1–0 win against Germany at Euro 2000, which was England's first competitive win against Germany since the 1966 World Cup final. England needed a draw against Romania to stay in the tournament, and Shearer scored a penalty, but Romania won 3–2. England's tournament was over, and so was Shearer's international career. He played 63 games for England, captained the team 34 times, and scored 30 goals. He is ranked 7th on the England all-time goalscorers list.

Playing Style

Alan Shearer was known as a classic English centre-forward. He was strong, good in the air, and had a powerful shot, which made him a fantastic goalscorer. Out of his 206 goals for Newcastle, 49 were scored with his head! Earlier in his career, especially at Southampton, he also played a more creative role, setting up chances for teammates.

As he got older, Shearer played more as a forward who could hold the ball up and pass to other players. He was also very good at taking penalties for both his club and country. He scored 45 penalties for Newcastle and is the most successful penalty-taker in Premier League history with 56 goals from 67 attempts. He also scored five goals from free-kicks for Newcastle.

Managerial Role

Briefly Managing Newcastle United (2009)

After retiring as a player, Shearer said he wanted to take some time off before possibly moving into management. He turned down coaching roles with England and Newcastle several times.

However, in a surprise move on 1 April 2009, it was announced that Alan Shearer would become the manager of his former club, Newcastle United, for the last eight games of the season. He took over from 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."

Shearer's first match in charge was a 2–0 loss to Chelsea. On 11 April, Newcastle earned their first point under Shearer with a 1–1 draw against Stoke City. His first win came in a 3–1 victory over Middlesbrough, which moved Newcastle out of the relegation zone.

However, on the final day of the season, Newcastle lost 1–0 to Aston Villa and were relegated to the Championship. This ended their 16-year stay in the Premier League. Shearer's eight games as manager resulted in only one win, two draws, and five losses.

Shearer did not get the manager's job permanently. Chris Hughton took over and successfully led Newcastle back to the Premier League in the 2009–10 season.

Life Outside Football

Personal Life

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

Alan Shearer met his wife, Lainya, while playing for Southampton. They got married on 8 June 1991 and have three children together. Shearer has said that his wife is a private person who doesn't enjoy the public attention that comes with his fame. He often mentioned that he didn't want to move his family from England, which was a key reason he stayed in the country even when clubs like Juventus or Barcelona wanted to sign him.

Honors and Recognition

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

On 6 December 2000, Alan Shearer was given the Honorary Freedom of Newcastle upon Tyne. This was to recognize his role as captain of Newcastle United and former captain of England, which brought honor to the city. He was also appointed 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 for his charity work in North East England.

Shearer has also received honorary degrees from Northumbria University (2006) and Newcastle University (2009). On 1 October 2009, he became a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland, helping the Queen's official representative in the region.

On 12 September 2016, a statue of Alan Shearer was unveiled outside St James' Park. It was paid for by the Shepherd family and shows him doing his famous goal celebration. In 2021, he was announced as the first player to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Media Work and Charity

Shearer in Banbury during a cycling marathon

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

During his playing career, Shearer appeared in commercials for the sports drink Lucozade. He is also featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series.

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)

Shearer has been involved with many charities. During his playing days, he worked with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). After retiring, he continued to support various charities, especially in the Newcastle area.

His testimonial match raised £1.64 million for fourteen different charities, including £400,000 for the NSPCC and £320,000 for the "Alan Shearer Centre," a care facility in Newcastle. In October 2006, he became an ambassador for the NSPCC.

In 2008, he raised over £300,000 for Sport Relief by cycling with fellow TV presenter Adrian Chiles. He also played in Soccer Aid, a charity football game, to raise money for UNICEF. On 26 July 2009, Shearer played and scored in the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match, a charity game for Bobby Robson's cancer foundation. On 15 October 2009, Shearer became a patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

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 Record

Honors 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 Awards

• UEFA European Championship Golden Boot: 1996 (Top Scorer)
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1996
• EFL Cup top scorer: 1990–91, 1992–93
• ESM Team of the Year: 1994–95
• FIFA World Player of the Year – Bronze award: 1996 (Third Place)
• 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 (Top Scorer)
• 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 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 home goals: 91 matches
• Top goalscorer in Newcastle United history: 206
• Most European goals scored for Newcastle United: 30

See also

In Spanish: Alan Shearer para niños