In the world of Premier League goalscoring, Alan Shearer is the greatest there ever was and the greatest there ever shall be. They say you become an even better footballer when you stop playing, as achievements are romanticised and failings forgotten, and that particularly rings true with the Newcastle legend. It’s now been eleven years since he retired, and we’re still waiting for a challenger to trump his record-setting 260 haul in the Premier League. The closest competitor, Wayne Rooney, is still a staggering 65 strikes away. The more time goes by, the more incredible Shearer’s record becomes.
That might suggest a career laid out perfectly for him from start to finish, facilitating such a miraculous haul. But there was plenty of hard graft for Shearer too and after gaining attention at Wallsend Boys Club (whose other alumni include Michael Carrick and Peter Beardsley), he had to move to the opposite end of the country to get his chance with a professional team – moving to the south coast to join the youth setup at Southampton.
From then on, it felt almost as if Shearer was scoring the goals to take himself home, back to his beloved Newcastle, with a slight detour at Blackburn Rovers. Although Shearer will be remembered first and foremost as a Magpies icon, his greatest triumph came at Ewood Park – firing Rovers in tandem with Chris Sutton to the 1994/95 Premier League title. Rovers and Arsenal would be the only teams to beat Manchester United to the crown for the first twelve years of Premier League football.
When the Blackburn bubble burst, Shearer returned to his first and final destination – Newcastle. He could only manage a runner-up medal and two FA Cup finals at St. James’ Park and interest from Manchester United was a recurring theme throughout his career, but Shearer never stopped playing with the passion and determination expected of a hometown hero representing his boyhood club. He never stopped scoring either, netting 206 times to overtake Jackie Milburn as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Shearer retired without winning a single honour as a Newcastle player, but the perception of his career being one missed opportunities is somewhat wide of the mark. It’s true that he was good enough to play in Champions League and World Cup finals, to win silverware all over the world. His England career too, ended in disappointment as the Three Lions crashed out at the Group Stages of Euro 2000, forcing him into international retirement.
But in truth, Shearer had his cake and ate it; he etched his name into Premier League history with titles and records, but also devoted ten years of his career to the club he loved, setting historical precedents there as well. Sure, Shearer could have won so much more – but few football careers have combined professional and personal achievements in quite the same way, and few footballers have the time, ability and belief to pursue both with the same degree of success. Shearer is a unique breed; the greatest there was and the greatest there shall be.
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