‘I’m a Premier League icon who virtually joined Man Utd – I’d even chosen a home’
Alan Shearer’s potential transfer to Manchester United was so shut he even selected a home – earlier than rejecting them to hitch Newcastle.
The Premier League‘s report goalscorer was coming off the 1995/96 season the place he claimed the Golden Boot for a second season in a row for Blackburn, earlier than scoring 5 objectives for England in Euro 1996. Interest within the Englishman was at an all-time excessive as champions Manchester United gave the impression to be favourites for Shearer’s signature.
Despite successful the league, Sir Alex Ferguson was available in the market for a medical striker and Shearer fitted the invoice as he admitted he got here near becoming a member of the Scot in Manchester. “Manchester United was the probable move,” he mentioned in an interview with FourFourTwo. “My wife and I had even picked out a house.”
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However, a gathering with Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan earlier than chatting to Ferguson on the identical day swayed Shearer to lastly end up for his boyhood membership. He added: “Fergie came in and the first thing he said was, ‘Am I first or has Keegan got to you?’ I told him I had already spoken with Keegan and he said, ‘That’s me f***ed then.’
“He was unsuitable. I nonetheless felt I used to be going to Old Trafford. Then I bought one other name from Kevin asking to see me yet another time. I assumed ‘why not?’ as a result of it was lingering there, this concept that it might be a dream to play for my membership, for Newcastle. I went to satisfy Keegan once more, I checked out my missus and mentioned, ‘It’s time to return house.’”
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Shearer joined Newcastle for a then-world report price of £15million and spent 10 years on the membership, the place he scored 206 objectives in 405 video games. Despite failing to win a single piece of silverware, the 53-year-old insisted that he made the proper resolution becoming a member of the staff he supported as a baby, slightly than the all-conquering United aspect who went on to elevate the Treble.
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“I wanted to have some great years at Newcastle whilst I could still play, not to go back in my 30s and for them not to see the best of me,” he continued. “It was always my dream to play for Newcastle, to have that shirt and wear that with pride and score goals at St James’ Park, and it was the best decision I ever made.”