10 Things you didn’t know about Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer is an English retired footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and the England national team. He is Newcastle’s and the Premier League’s record goalscorer. He was born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom on 13 August 1970 (age 49 years). His career started in 1988 to 2006. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about him.

1. Top goalscorer in Premier League history.

Alan Shearer remains the top goalscorer in Premier League history, the likes of Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, among many others, have all spent years in this division but no one has matched Shearer’s combination of talent and longevity in front of goal. Shearer scored 283 league goals in his career. Shearer scored 260 goals in the league formed in 1992 – 65 more than Rooney, who is second on the list. He was the first player to reach 100 goals and remains the only one to have netted a century for two different clubs. One of the most interesting Premier League facts is Shearer also has the most penalty goals with 58.

2. Getting in the game.

At age 17, Shearer netted a hat-trick on his full debut at The Dell in a 4-2 win over Arsenal, becoming the youngest player to do so in the English top tier in the process. That earned him his first professional contract but it took the young striker some time to adjust to senior football, with only seven more league goals following over his next 72 games. His breakout season came in 1991-92 when, still only 21, he scored 13 league goals and 21 in all competitions. That persuaded Blackburn Rovers to pay an English record £3.6 million to sign him in the summer of 1992.

3. BBC Broadcaster.

The former striker, one of the greatest players in Premier League history, was once a prominent broadcaster with the BBC since hanging up his boots. Shearer is one of the most recognizable faces in British football coverage due to his capacity as a pundit for the BBC. The former striker was one of the most prominent faces on the Saturday night highlights show and also appeared as an analyst for FA Cup, European Championship and World Cup games the public broadcaster screens live.

4. Newcastle United Manager.

In 2009, it was announced that Shearer would become the manager of his former club Newcastle United for the remaining eight games of the season, taking over from head coach Chris Hughton who was in temporary charge while the permanent manager Joe Kinnear recovered from heart surgery, having taken ill on 7 February. Shearer stated “It’s a club I love and I don’t want them to go down. I’ll do everything I can to stop that.”

5. What is shearer’s net worth?

The retired soccer player has a net worth of $52.5 million. On top of his earnings from his playing days, Shearer’s previous contract with the BBC as a pundit on Match of the Day reportedly paid him £500,000 a year. He signed a new deal in 2016 and has also appeared on other networks abroad, such as Bein Sports. 

6. Who is the shearer’s wife?

Shearer married Lainya who he met while at Southampton, in 1991 and they have three children Hollie, Chloe and Will. His wife Lainya has kept a low profile despite her husband’s fame and has been said to be happy to stay out of the spotlight.

7. Legendary Statute.

Newcastle unveiled a statue for Shearer outside of St James’ Park in September of 2016. The brass monument cost £250,000 and was paid for by the family of Freddy Shepherd, the chairman of the club while Shearer played there.

8. He holds several honorary titles.

Shearer is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), a Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland, a Freeman of Newcastle upon Tyne and an honorary Doctor of Civil Law of Northumbria and Newcastle Universities.

9. Alan Shearer Foundation.

He established the Alan Shearer Foundation in 2012, with the aim of raising money to help make a difference to thousands of people with disabilities and sensory impairments in the North East of England.

10. Did he commit manslaughter?

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has revealed he once feared he killed a former teammate during a boozy night out. The ex-England star said he thought he was “going to get done for manslaughter” after smacking fellow former Keith Gillespie in the face, knocking him to the ground and leaving his head gushing with blood. The pair, who played alongside each other for the Magpies, came to blows during an eight-hour mid-season drinking session in Dublin in 1997.