# Alan Shearer
**Alan Shearer** (born 1970 in [Newcastle upon Tyne](https://www.edgepedia.org/newcastle-upon-tyne)) is an English former footballer who played as a center-forward and holds the record for the most goals in Premier League history, 260 for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United between 1992/93 and 2005/06[1](https://www.premierleague.com/en/stats/records) • [2](https://as.com/futbol/shearer-corazon-y-cabeza-f202603-n/). He won the Premier League once, with [Blackburn](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackburn) in 1994/95, and is Newcastle United's all-time leading scorer with 206 goals[3](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/alan-shearer-named-as-one-of-first-two-inductees-into-the-premier-league-hall-of-fame) • [4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer). Since retiring he has worked as a pundit on the BBC's highlights program [Match of the Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/match-of-the-day)[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premier League goals | 260 in 441 appearances, an average of 0.59 goals per game; the league's all-time record[1](https://www.premierleague.com/en/stats/records) • [5](https://www.whitstable-endowed.kent.sch.uk/attachments/documents.asp?id=112) |
| Clubs | Southampton (youth and early career), Blackburn Rovers 1992-1996 (112 goals in 138 matches), Newcastle United 1996-2006 (206 goals)[6](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1295096) • [4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer) |
| Honors | Premier League title 1994/95; three Premier League Golden Boots (34, 31, and 25 goals); PFA Players' Player of the Year 1994/95 and 1996/97; FIFA 100 list (2004)[3](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/alan-shearer-named-as-one-of-first-two-inductees-into-the-premier-league-hall-of-fame) • [7](https://veda-app.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/assets/1408347/downloads/2024-08-12/I9VmNf6e7j7M1nkY-1723463622.pdf) |
| England | 63 caps, 30 goals, 42 as captain; Euro 96 top scorer with 5 goals; retired from internationals after Euro 2000[8](https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/euro2012mediapack.pdf) • [9](https://www.ncl.ac.uk/mediav8/congregations/files/AlanShearer_compressed.pdf) • [10](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/seasons/1996/) |
| Transfer records | £3.6 million to Blackburn in 1992, then a British record; £15 million to Newcastle in 1996, then a world record[2](https://as.com/futbol/shearer-corazon-y-cabeza-f202603-n/) • [4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer) |
| Hall of Fame | One of the first two inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame, alongside Thierry Henry; the only player to reach 100 Premier League goals for two different clubs[3](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/alan-shearer-named-as-one-of-first-two-inductees-into-the-premier-league-hall-of-fame) |
| Final match | Sunderland 1-4 Newcastle, 17 April 2006, in which he scored his 206th Newcastle goal before a knee injury ended his career three games early, aged 35[11](https://englishpremierleague.watch/guides/shearer-premier-league-icon/) |
## Early career and Blackburn
Shearer came through the Wallsend Boys' Club in Newcastle before heading south to Southampton, where he began his professional career[12](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/alan-shearer/). Two weeks after his full debut for [Southampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/southampton) he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the English top flight, at 17 years and 240 days old[13](https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/sites/default/files/associated_downloads/Trivquiz%20Newcastle%20Utd%20Sample.pdf).
On 27 July 1992, just before the first Premier League campaign, Blackburn Rovers signed him from Southampton for £3.6 million, which made him the most expensive player in British football at the time[6](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1295096) • [2](https://as.com/futbol/shearer-corazon-y-cabeza-f202603-n/). A knee injury forced him to miss around half of his first season there[14](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47545895). He then scored 112 goals in only 138 matches for Blackburn, becoming the first player to reach a century of Premier League goals, and won the league title in 1994/95[6](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1295096) • [3](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/alan-shearer-named-as-one-of-first-two-inductees-into-the-premier-league-hall-of-fame). His 25 home goals in 21 matches that season remain the Premier League record for home goals in a season[1](https://www.premierleague.com/en/stats/records).
## Newcastle United
After five goals in five games at Euro 96, clubs across Europe competed for him, and Newcastle United beat Manchester United to his signature with a world record £15 million fee, fulfilling his childhood dream of playing for his boyhood club[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer) • [8](https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/euro2012mediapack.pdf). He scored 28 goals in his first season at [St James' Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/st-james-park), forming a partnership with [Les Ferdinand](https://www.edgepedia.org/les-ferdinand)[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer).
Injuries shaped his Newcastle years. He suffered two cruciate ligament injuries in his career, which forced him to evolve from a channel-running striker into a physical focal point, an adaptation helped by advice from Sir Bobby Robson[15](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/alan-shearer-premier-league-record-goalscorer-hall-of-fame-underrated-newcastle-blackburn). An ankle problem restricted him to 17 appearances in 1997-98, and further issues limited him to 19 league games in 2000-01[14](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47545895). Newcastle reached two consecutive [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) finals at the end of the 1990s but lost both, and the club finished second in the league in 1997[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer) • [12](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/alan-shearer/).
Under Robson his scoring continued: he passed 100 goals for the club during 2001/02, matched [Jackie Milburn](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-milburn)'s 200 in an FA Cup tie against Mansfield Town in January 2006, and became Newcastle's record scorer with his 201st goal against [Portsmouth](https://www.edgepedia.org/portsmouth) 28 days later[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer). His final goal, the 206th for Newcastle, came in a 4-1 win at [Sunderland](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunderland) on 17 April 2006, and a knee injury in that match ended his playing career three games early[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer) • [11](https://englishpremierleague.watch/guides/shearer-premier-league-icon/). A statue commissioned by former chairman Freddy Shepherd was placed outside St James' Park in 2016[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer).
## England career
Shearer scored on his England debut and was a household name by the time of Euro 96, where he was the tournament's top scorer with five goals[9](https://www.ncl.ac.uk/mediav8/congregations/files/AlanShearer_compressed.pdf) • [10](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/seasons/1996/). He played 63 times for England, 42 as captain, scoring 30 goals, and retired from international football at the end of Euro 2000[8](https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/euro2012mediapack.pdf) • [9](https://www.ncl.ac.uk/mediav8/congregations/files/AlanShearer_compressed.pdf).
## The record
Shearer's 260-goal mark has stood since 2006. In the roughly two decades since he retired, only one player has come within 50 goals of it[16](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-the-20-best-premier-league-strikers-ever). [Wayne Rooney](https://www.edgepedia.org/wayne-rooney) finished second on 208, and [Harry Kane](https://www.edgepedia.org/harry-kane) moved level with Rooney before his transfer abroad, leaving Shearer's total still ahead[17](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/harry-kane-alan-shearer-wayne-rooney-goals-b2276636.html) • [18](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3248930). On pace measures the comparison is closer: Shearer reached 200 Premier League goals in 306 appearances, a threshold Kane beat by two games, and [Erling Haaland](https://www.edgepedia.org/erling-haaland) reached 100 Premier League goals in 111 matches, faster than the 124 Shearer needed[17](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/harry-kane-alan-shearer-wayne-rooney-goals-b2276636.html) • [19](https://as.com/us/futbol/haaland-vuelve-a-hacer-historia-en-la-premier-league-f202512-n/).
The record's composition reflects his style. He holds the Premier League records for most right-footed goals, 194, and his scoring spanned headers, both feet, and long-range strikes; FourFourTwo's profile describes him as far more than a tap-in scorer, noting an unusually good cross and an ability to beat defenders with intelligence as well as strength[1](https://www.premierleague.com/en/stats/records) • [20](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/football-quiz-can-you-name-every-team-alan-shearer-scored-against-during-his-club-career) • [21](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/ranked-the-100-best-football-players-of-all-time). He scored against 71 different teams during his club career[20](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/football-quiz-can-you-name-every-team-alan-shearer-scored-against-during-his-club-career).
## Recognition and later work
Shearer was named an inaugural inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021 alongside [Thierry Henry](https://www.edgepedia.org/thierry-henry), and he is a member of the National Football Museum Hall of Fame[3](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/alan-shearer-named-as-one-of-first-two-inductees-into-the-premier-league-hall-of-fame) • [12](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/alan-shearer/). Pelé included him in the [FIFA 100](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-100) list of greatest living footballers in 2004[7](https://veda-app.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/assets/1408347/downloads/2024-08-12/I9VmNf6e7j7M1nkY-1723463622.pdf). FourFourTwo ranked him 78th in its list of the 100 best football players of all time and fourth among Premier League players[21](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/ranked-the-100-best-football-players-of-all-time) • [22](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/you-just-knew-right-away-that-he-had-everything-you-expect-in-a-top-player-i-put-him-and-alan-shearer-up-there-as-the-best-there-have-ever-been-in-the-premier-league-duncan-ferguson-on-playing-alongside-a-young-wayne-rooney).
After retiring he returned to Newcastle for a brief spell as manager in 2009, and he has been a regular pundit on Match of the Day, continuing in that role into the 2025-26 season[4](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer) • [23](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c201867848go). He has spoken publicly about the mental toll of his three serious injuries, describing the frustration of months spent away from the squad during rehabilitation[24](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1663156).
## References
1. [Premier League Club, Manager & Player Records](https://www.premierleague.com/en/stats/records)
2. [Shearer, corazón y cabeza, AS](https://as.com/futbol/shearer-corazon-y-cabeza-f202603-n/)
3. [Alan Shearer named as one of first two inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame, NUFC](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/news/alan-shearer-named-as-one-of-first-two-inductees-into-the-premier-league-hall-of-fame)
4. [Alan Shearer, Newcastle United Hall of Fame](https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/hall-of-fame/alan-shearer)
5. [Premier League Top Scorers – comparing numbers](https://www.whitstable-endowed.kent.sch.uk/attachments/documents.asp?id=112)
6. [On this day: Shearer joins Blackburn Rovers, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1295096)
7. [Player honors summary (PDF)](https://veda-app.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/assets/1408347/downloads/2024-08-12/I9VmNf6e7j7M1nkY-1723463622.pdf)
8. [BBC Sport — Euro 2012 on the BBC media pack (PDF)](https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/euro2012mediapack.pdf)
9. [Newcastle University congregation address on Alan Shearer (PDF)](https://www.ncl.ac.uk/mediav8/congregations/files/AlanShearer_compressed.pdf)
10. [Season 1996, UEFA EURO 1996, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/seasons/1996/)
11. [Alan Shearer Premier League record: 260 goals explained](https://englishpremierleague.watch/guides/shearer-premier-league-icon/)
12. [Alan Shearer, National Football Museum Hall of Fame](https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/alan-shearer/)
13. [Trivquiz Newcastle Utd (PDF)](https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/sites/default/files/associated_downloads/Trivquiz%20Newcastle%20Utd%20Sample.pdf)
14. [Can anyone break Alan Shearer's Premier League goals record?, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47545895)
15. [Alan Shearer: 260 Premier League goals and still underrated, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/alan-shearer-premier-league-record-goalscorer-hall-of-fame-underrated-newcastle-blackburn)
16. [Ranked! The 20 best Premier League strikers ever, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-the-20-best-premier-league-strikers-ever)
17. [Is Harry Kane better than Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer?, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/harry-kane-alan-shearer-wayne-rooney-goals-b2276636.html)
18. [Kane moves level with Rooney in all-time scorer rankings, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/3248930)
19. [Haaland vuelve a hacer historia, AS](https://as.com/us/futbol/haaland-vuelve-a-hacer-historia-en-la-premier-league-f202512-n/)
20. [Quiz! Can you name EVERY team Alan Shearer scored against?, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/football-quiz-can-you-name-every-team-alan-shearer-scored-against-during-his-club-career)
21. [Ranked! The 100 best football players of all time, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/ranked-the-100-best-football-players-of-all-time)
22. [Duncan Ferguson on playing alongside a young Wayne Rooney, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/you-just-knew-right-away-that-he-had-everything-you-expect-in-a-top-player-i-put-him-and-alan-shearer-up-there-as-the-best-there-have-ever-been-in-the-premier-league-duncan-ferguson-on-playing-alongside-a-young-wayne-rooney)
23. [Match of the Day: Who are the new presenters and pundits for 2025-26?, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c201867848go)
24. [Inside Matters: Shearer on dealing with recovery, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/1663156)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 1990–2004*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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