Alan Shearer’s ‘agonising’ England determination and snubbing Sven’s World Cup invite
Alan Shearer has opened up about snubbing the chance to play in the World Cup for England after making the “agonising” decision to retire from international football.
The Premier League’s record goalscorer was one of the greatest strikers of his generation. The Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers legend scored an incredible 260 times in the top flight and bagged 30 goals in 63 appearances for the Three Lions. But the Golden Boot at Euro 1996 was the only thing he won with his country, after featuring in the heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to Germany in that tournament and again two years later, in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina.
By the time Euro 2000 was approaching, Shearer was also coping with the aftermath of a devastating ankle ligament injury in 1997, combined with the impact of serious knee injuries, which had robbed him of pace and forced him to adapt his game. Yet the goals were still flowing – 30 for Newcastle that season – and the world was shocked when the then 29-year-old announced ahead of the tournament that it would be his last for England.
Alan Shearer was the top goalscorer at Euro 1996(Image: Getty Images)
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It was ultimately a miserable swansong. Despite Shearer scoring in a 1-0 win over Germany out in Belgium, Kevin Keegan’s flops failed to make it out of the group stage after a humiliating last-gasp defeat to Romania. Shearer’s England career ended in crushing disappointment.
But two years later, with Sven-Goran Eriksson now in charge, Shearer was offered one last shot at success with England – an invitation to play at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
He’d just scored a whopping 27 goals for Newcastle in all competitions. And he still clearly had lots more in the tank, as he would notch staggering tallies of 25, 28, 19 and 14 over the next four seasons, before finally hanging up his boots in 2006.
Alan Shearer kept banging in goals for Newcastle United long after he retired from international duty with England(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Yet Shearer rejected Sven’s plea – deciding to prioritise his future with his club over playing again for his country – meaning the Swedish boss instead took the likes of a young Darius Vassell and a 36-year-old Teddy Sheringham to the tournament, along with Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Robbie Fowler, as his forward options.
In his absence, England did secure a measure of revenge against Argentina with a 1-0 win in the group stage. But they were knocked out by 10-man Brazil in the quarter-finals, when Ronaldinho – one of the ‘three Rs’ along with Ronaldo and Rivaldo – infamously lobbed David Seaman with a free kick in a 2-1 win for the eventual champions.
Daily Star Sport spoke exclusively to Shearer via Betfair, for whom he is a Betfair Ambassador, and asked what was the true story of his decision and any chat he had with Eriksson, and whether he regretted not playing at another World Cup and having the chance to make a difference for England, when still one of the best strikers around.
Sven-Goran Eriksson couldn’t bring Alan Shearer out of retirement for England(Image: Getty Images)
Shearer said: “I never spoke to Sven personally, but one of his coaches rang me up to ask whether I would be interested in coming out of international retirement for the 2002 World Cup. As much as I would have loved to have said ‘yes’, I just couldn’t because my body wouldn’t take it.
“I made the decision in 2000, and I couldn’t carry on because of the three serious injuries that I had. I knew that something would be affected and I couldn’t give up league football, obviously.
“I think having been asked the question to come back, meant I’d made the right decision in the first place. So that’s the story. I think once you’re gone, you’re gone.
Alan Shearer dejected after England’s Euro 2000 loss to Romania(Image: Press Association)
“I mean, look at Manuel Neuer as an example. He retired two years ago and then came back for this World Cup and unfortunately, he’s been really criticised and made a few mistakes. So, once you’re gone, you’re gone, I think.
“To give up playing for England was just hard enough anyway. It was an agonising decision, but it was one that I had to make because I knew my body better than anyone and I knew how it was affecting my body, my knees, my ankles, my back and everything that I had issues with and problems with.
“I still had those same problems, but just not as much. It wasn’t so much the games, it was just the travelling and everything else that went with England.
“I know if I’d have played in that World Cup then I know the following season would have been a disaster because my body wouldn’t be able to take it.”
Alan Shearer was speaking ahead of England’s semi-final against Argentina – everyone’s got an opinion, back yours at Betfair.
