Perfect No 9 - Inside Alan Shearer's Newcastle United record-breaking career

The Magpies' legendary No 9 banished the demons of a penalty miss against Sunderland with an emphatic spot-kick at the Stadium of Light on April 17, 2006.

It was the last act of a storied career, with Shearer limping off with a knee injury during the 4-1 victory which would prove to be his final match in black-and-white.

It was a premature ending but one that perhaps could not have been scripted better for a legend who remains both the Premier League's and the Magpies' all-time leading goalscorer.

The former world-record signing's name and United are now synonymous across the globe as a result of these unprecedented achievements.

But what was it like to play alongside a legend in the making, a figure so cherished he would go on to be labelled 'Mr Newcastle'?

Here, some of the biggest names to have shared a football pitch with the legendary striker tell their stories of what it was like to play alongside 'Big Al', their feelings when he signed for Newcastle and the side most fans don't get to see.

How the Newcastle dressing room reacted to the signing that shocked the footballing world

The date was July 30, 1996, and Newcastle have just managed to pip Europe's elite to the signing of the world's most coveted striker.

Shearer's journey which started in Gosforth in the 1970s had come full circle via stops at Southampton and Blackburn Rovers.

The striker's form with England in their memorable run to the semi-finals of Euro 96 had made the 25-year-old one of the hottest properties in the transfer market.

But in the end, the lure of coming home and the chance to end Newcastle's well-publicised trophy drought was too strong for him to ignore.

Kevin Keegan had got his man, and Shearer was joining a star-studded squad who had narrowly missed out on the title to Manchester United the previous season.

Stars such as Tino Asprilla and David Ginola are still fondly remembered from the 'Entertainers' era, but there was an acknowledgement across the board that Shearer's arrival was another step up for the ambitious Magpies.

Rob Lee told Chronicle Live: "He could have signed for anyone after Euro 96. He was probably the best striker in the world at the time.

"It was a massive statement, especially pipping Manchester United. He was seen as the final piece of the jigsaw that would get us across the line and get us the title or at least a trophy.

"We were so close the year before, and we thought with him and Les up front we'd have some strikeforce. We knew it was a special signing, but that's the way the club was going.

"We had amazing signings the season before, but what Alan brought was stature. He wouldn't have played for Newcastle unless he had visions of us going somewhere."

The Magpies' frontline already boasted the likes of Asprilla, Peter Beardsley, Les Ferdinand, and Paul Kitson before Shearer's arrival.

It was a depth of talent which had fired Keegan's side to within inches of the title, but there was still palpable excitement among the squad when the deal was finally announced.

Warren Barton said: "We were on tour when the news broke. We were all ecstatic.

"We had some good strikers ourselves, but Alan was a benchmark - the world-record striker at the time.

"We all saw this as a big, big step for the club, and what a signing it was after the disappointment of not finishing the job off.

"The club had that ambition to say we want to go that one step further. There was a real big belief as we were getting the finished article.

"That was the mood he gave everyone - not just the fringe players, I'm talking the top players who knew we had a chance now."

Barton, Lee and the Magpies other England internationals already had an idea of what to expect from the new man.

Having previously been tasked with cutting out the supply line to the ex-Blackburn and Southampton striker, Barton was acutely aware of the asset Newcastle now possessed.

The former right-back added: "He was so strong and powerful, he was at the time the perfect number nine.

"He'd work the channels, he could hold the ball up, his touch was good and he was aggressive in the air.

"He was one of these players who could have played in any generation. He could score goals for fun, particularly with some of the defending in the Premier League right now.

"When you were playing against him, you knew you couldn't bully him. You'd have to be on your game, and you knew as a full-back you didn't want any crosses coming into the box.

"He was always aggressive in front of goal, whether it was header, a tap-in or from 30 yards. You always had to be on your game because he was one of these players who would test you in every way.

"Any weakness, he would catch on and put the ball in the back of the net."

Les Ferdinand, the strike partner

Shearer would go on to become the most famous recipient of Newcastle's iconic number nine, but it was a shirt number which provided a thorny issue at the outset.

Ferdinand had arrived the previous summer and was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year for a stunning debut campaign at St James' Park.

The former QPR striker bagged 29 goals in all competitions, but this blistering form was seemingly not enough for then England boss Terry Venables.

Ferdinand did not play a single minute at Euro 96, while Shearer cemented his status by finishing the competition as the leading goalscorer.

News of Newcastle's interest inevitably raised questions over Ferdinand's future on Tyneside, but it was talk that Keegan was quick to quell.

Ferdinand said: "I remember being in the airport [before the pre-season tour], and Kevin taking me to one side and saying we're trying to sign Alan Shearer.

"He said I want you to be one of the first to know, because what's going to happen is the minute I sign Alan Shearer, everyone is going to be talking about you leaving the football club.

"He said I'm not trying to prove anybody wrong, but I believe you two could play together and be successful as a partnership. I'm bringing him in to give you some help.

"When Keegan was talking to me, at no stage did I think to myself I wouldn't be playing anymore or my games would be limited.

"The only thing I thought was brilliant, we're bringing in Alan Shearer, one of the top scorers in the Premier League. We were very close the year before, maybe this would get us over the line."

The conversation between Keegan and Ferdinand then raised the unavoidable sticking point of the famous number-nine shirt.

Ferdinand added: "There was no real discussion between Alan and myself. Keegan asked the question about the No 9 shirt, and I said what do you want to do?

"You're the manager of the club, what do you want to do? He said Alan has worn it all his life and it has a sentimental value, and I said I'd worn it all my life too.

"I said you're the manager of the football club and you've asked the question, so that tells me you want him to have it. That was it, there was no debating it anymore.

"It was announced he'd signed and he'd wear the No 9, the boys in the changing room didn't know and, asked how I'd given it up. I didn't really want to go into it, most of the lads couldn't believe they'd asked me."

Keegan planned a private training session for the pair to prevent any 'animosity' building between them. Shearer privately thanked Ferdinand for relinquishing the shirt, and the former number nine accepted it was the record signing's 'boyhood dream'.

The strikers buried any doubts over their compatibility and potential bad blood to form one of the deadliest partnerships at St James' Park in recent times.

Ferdinand said: "Alan came out and we went on a training session together. Keegan said I want the two of us to go out, just some finishing and to get know each other. I think he was trying to put us in a position there would be no animosity.

"I said I've been with him all summer! I know Alan, Alan knows me, we went out and did the training session. He did say thanks for letting him have the number nine shirt, it must have been tough to give it up but I really appreciate the fact you have.

"For me, at the time I felt like I could play up front with anybody. I felt I could adapt to anybody.

"In my first year, I was the lone striker and I felt I had to be more of a traditional number nine by holding up the ball, and bringing others into the game.

"With Alan in the team, I was able to explore areas of the pitch I used to do when I was at QPR, and vice versa. Alan would often be on the wing and cross the ball for me, and I'd go out on the wing and cross for him.

"As a club, we were geared to getting the ball in the box, but now we had one extra member in there who if I missed it, Alan was going to get it.

"The only goal we wanted was for Newcastle to win. There was no 'I'm going to try score more than you'. We were both goalscorers, but the most important thing was for the team to win and we both had the same mindset.

"That season we gelled in a way people didn't think we would. I think that was the satisfaction. Both of us knew we could play together, wanted to play together and we made it work."

The so-called 'Entertainers' captured the hearts of Newcastle fans and neutrals with their swashbuckling approach.

But one of the lasting legacies of the beloved eras under Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson was the camaraderie and unity displayed by a team of superstars.

Team meals and nights out were regular staples for the 'Entertainers', and it was an environment which Shearer quickly embraced.

Lee explained: "We had such a great team spirit at the time, he was welcomed with open arms by all off the lads.

"Off the field, he bedded in very well. He came on our infamous nights outs. We just clicked straight away."

Shearer's personality and the pre-existing team spirit ruled out any risk of a clash of egos between a world-record signing and international superstars.

Ferdinand said: "I think with Alan, he was the world-record signing but he never acted like he was a superstar. That was something that was quite unique about where we were.

"It didn't matter what accolades anyone got, there was no-one in our changing room that thought they were above anyone else. That's what made that group of players and club special at that time.

"Alan came and fitted in to that, we knew he'd get all the headlines but he never acted like the superstar coming into the team.

"The camaraderie we had as a group of players, I don't think I've come across that in any other club I've been at."

Barton added: "The first thing Alan said is he can't wait for David and Keith to be crossing the ball!

"He had the best of both worlds, people who could pass through the middle, a great partner next to him and outstanding wide players.

"There was nothing but aspirations, and we couldn't wait for the season to get going after the big disappointment.

"Alan was a big part of that, he lifted everyone in the dressing room. It was a masterstroke for us because we were devastated, but it wasn't too long before we were lifted."

The first of 206 goals came in his home debut against Wimbledon, and the sight of Shearer raising his arm aloft became a familiar sight on the terraces of the Gallowgate End.

The number nine would go on to make goalscoring look effortless at times, but his team-mates knew it was the product of a relentless work ethic behind the scenes.

Barton said: "Every day he'd come in and give his best. What happened on Saturday or midweek or with England, he'd come in the next day with the mindset of making himself and the team better. It was infectious.

"What makes Alan different to everyone is his single-mindedness, how he copes with things himself. He's so mentally strong, and not only with his injuries.

"He was a professional and always one of the last to leave. Me, Nobby [Solano], Keith, whoever, would be walking off the field and he'd say where are you going? You've got to deliver the ball for me and put some crosses in.

"That rubbed off on people, and we're talking about top-class players."

Ferdinand added: "He knew his game, knew how to get the best out of himself and he was the consumate professional in the way he trained and operated in games. He was just a goalscoring machine."

There was never any doubting Shearer's work ethic and commitment to the cause, although that is not to say the striker enjoyed all facets of the Magpies training sessions.

Lee joked: "He wouldn't be the first pick in eight-a-side! All he was interested in was finishing and scoring goals.

"He didn't like the running part at all, but on the pitch we knew what a player we had.

"I saw him play some awful games but he'd score one goal, we'd win 1-0 and he'd get man of the match. I used to say you only touched it once, but he said it was the hardest touch in football!"

It only took Shearer a couple of seasons to set the standard at his new club, and earn the dubious moniker of 'Goldenballs' from his team-mates.

Given the fact several established 'Entertainers' admit the number nine raised the bar, it is not hard to imagine how daunting it could have been for young players to live up to these expectations.

Andy Griffin was just 18-years-old when he signed for Newcastle in January 1998. The teenager went from catching the bus for matches at Stoke City to sharing a dressing room with some of the biggest names in English football.

Griffin said: "I was on holiday watching the Euro 96 and I was singing there's only one Alan Shearer. I then walked into that dressing room at the age of 18 and acted like hi, I'm Andy.

"I thought he was going to be nine-foot tall. You kind of expect superstars are just a lot bigger. I have nothing but the utmost respect for someone like Shearer because I've seen how professional he is.

"I've seen how he ticks the boxes, and how disciplined he was in training every day. That's how I kind of measure everybody else - not on ability but with their professionalism.

"If it was good enough for Alan Shearer, it was good enough for everyone else. For someone like me to share the dressing room and play alongside him, I was very privileged and honoured."

Shearer's endeavours for United went beyond the pitch as a 'starstruck' teenage Michael Chopra found out when he presented the 15-year-old with the prestigious Wor Jackie Trophy.

Dubbed the 'next Alan Shearer' for his goalscoring form in the Academy, Chopra found himself in the privileged position of being able to lean on the man himself for advice.

Chopra said: "I was a kid coming through at Newcastle, and here I am meeting one of my heroes who I watch on the telly every single week.

"He'd always try and help me improve my game, whether it was shooting drills or one-v-ones with the defenders. He'd say why didn't you go this way, why didn't you give the keeper the eyes?

"He would tell me the runs to make at certain points, and also the advice of never to give up. No matter how many chances you get, one of them will go in.

"Don't stop making your runs, because the one time you do will be the time the ball comes and you won't be there to stick it away.

"After training, we would do a shooting competition between us. I think it was 10 or 20 shots, and it was whoever scored the most goals.

"It was a great competition because I was testing myself against one of the best strikers in England.

"Sometimes I used to beat him, and I used to go home and tell my mum and dad I've just beaten Alan Shearer in a shooting contest!"

Shearer became a mentor to Chopra through the good times and the bad. The high of Chopra's Magpies debut in November 2002 was instantly replaced by the low of missing the decisive penalty in the Worthington Cup exit to Everton.

Chopra said: "I was in the dressing room and there were tears in my eyes. A Geordie making his debut for Newcastle, I was devastated.

"He came to speak to me, and I'll never forget it. He didn't have to do it, it was just the man he was.

"He was just trying to cheer me up really. He said he knew how it felt after missing the penalty against Sunderland, and said don't worry about it.

"You'll get your opportunity again, and you had the bottle to go up and take one. We had players signed for £5-£10m who didn't want to do it.

"That's one thing that stands out for me, and the first thing that comes into my mind when someone mentions Alan Shearer."

The advice and support did not stop with the white lines of the pitch. Chopra has spoken previously about his gambling addiction, and is understandably reluctant to discuss the specifics of how Shearer helped him.

However, the former United prospect insists the Magpies legend remains someone he can count on if he ever needs support.

Chopra explained: "He helped me in ways that people don't know, and I'd like to keep to myself, with gambling.

"He told my agent I had a problem, and I needed help. He was looking out for me at such a young age. He's always there if I need to pick up the phone."

It was a bond which would result in a memorable day for both in the 4-1 victory at the Stadium of Light. Chopra started the comeback with the equaliser seconds after his substitution, and Shearer's penalty completed the turnaround a minute later.

Chopra said: "It was such a fitting end. He missed the penalty in front of the Gallowgate, and what better way to go out in the last game of your career?

"Who could have written it? Things like that happen to special people. To stick a penalty away and not have any more regrets.

"Growing up as a Newcastle fan, you dream of going to these matches and to score in it and play with Shearer, you couldn't wish for anything more."

Ask a seasoned veteran or an academy talent about Shearer's influence in the Newcastle dressing room, and the answer remains the same.

Chopra said: "Whenever he spoke, people listened because they knew he was a leader.

"He would raise people's games, you don't see those types of leaders in football know. You talk about Roy Keane, Tony Adams, Steven Gerrard - there's none of them in the game anymore and I think that's what football needs.

"He was basically Newcastle United, and rightly so because of what he achieved."

Barton added: "He was a leader. He came in and set the tone, and that's what we wanted. Even in the times when it was difficult with Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson, he was a leader.

"He loved the game, the club, and was always doing things off the pitch for the club and the city. He was desperate to win a trophy for Newcastle."

That dream of a trophy was one that unfortunately went unfulfilled, with painful European exits and successive FA Cup final defeats proving the closest Shearer would ever come with United.

It is a criticism which is often levelled against the number nine when it comes to the regular debate over the greatest strikers of the Premier League era.

But for the team-mates who played alongside him in black-and-white, there is little to no doubt over Shearer's standing in the game.

Lee said: "He wasn't playing in the best team for a lot of the time, and he missed about two-and-a-half years through injury.

"It's an unbelievable feat to score that many goals."

Barton added: "He had a presence and an aura about him. Seeing him in training, he was just driven to score goals and that's all he ever wanted to do.

"There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to be a legend of the game."

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