| |
| Alan
Shearer |
| Club: |
Newcastle United |
| Date
of Birth: |
13
August 1970 |
| Birthplace: |
Newcastle |
| Height: |
6'0"
|
| Weight: |
12.6
|
| Club
Honours: |
Premier League '95 |
| International Honours: |
England: 51; B International-1; Under 21-11; Youth
|
| Transfers: |
Southampton (From trainee on 14/4/88) Football League
105+13/23 League Cup 16+2/11 FA Cup 11+3/4 Others
8/5
Blackburn Rovers (£3,600,000 on 24/7/92) Premier
League 132+6/112 League Cup 16/14 FA Cup 8/2 Others
9/2
Newcastle United (£15,000,000 on 30/7/96) Premier
League 75+3/41 League Cup 3/2 FA Cup 15/11 Others
7/2
|
Local lad Alan remains the talismanic hero of the Toon Army,
particularly as he was appointed Newcastle club captain during last season
in succession to Rob Lee, following the latter's lengthy absence through
injury. Also made captain of England by Glenn Hoddle, he retained the
honour when Kevin Keegan succeeded to the post of England manager. Because
of this, and his excellent scoring record in the Premiership, he remains
one of the highest profile players in the land, with his performance
continually under the closest of scrutiny. And, having suffered a series
of serious injuries in recent years, there were regular suggestions that
he is no longer the player he was. However, he continues to confound his
critics, and his scoring record in a season interrupted again by injury
was a goal every other game, his penalty at Forest in March being his 50th
counter for Newcastle. Remaining as committed as ever, with a very high
will to win, and an important influence in the dressing room, he has a
very strong all-round game, mixing stunning goals from a distance with
tap-ins gained through a strikers's sharp positional sense. He is also
physically very strong and difficult to knock off the ball, and his spring
makes him a real danger in the air. After ten games, beginning the
previous season, without a Newcastle goal he rediscovered his touch and
scored seven in four (including the six in three Premiership) games, plus
one for England. Subject of frequent rumours predicting his imminent
departure from his hometown club, which he became weary of denying, he
suffered his longest ever goal famine in league football when failed to
score from September to the end of January, spanning 14 hours and 50
minutes playing time, although he did score in both the Worthington and FA
Cups during this period. During this time he also suffered a hamstring
tear in his right leg, against Sheffield Wednesday, which sidelined him
for a month, before breaking the drought against Villa in a match in which
he gave a sterling performance against a highly-regarded defence.
Suspended in February for the first time in his career, because of an
accumulation of yellow cards, the fans await with keen anticipation the
development of a partnership with Duncan Ferguson that has been frustrated
to date by untimely injuries to both players. A glimpse of it was provided
when Duncan made a substitute appearance in the FA Cup semi-final, in
which Alan was for the second consecutive year the winning scorer, this
time with a penalty, coolly converted in a cauldron atmosphere, and a
fulminating drive from the edge of the penalty area, to take his club back
to Wembley. He was honoured to be chosen as the FA Premier League Hall of
Fame inductee for season 1994-95.
|
