Football story by Brian Watters, Sat, 22 Apr 2006 12:28:00 GMT


LONDON - English football bids goodbye to one of its greatest strikers of all time as Alan Shearer has decided to call it quits 3 games earlier than intended when it was confirmed that his injury would take a few weeks to heal.

The powerful striker limped off the field during the derby match against Sunderland with scans showing injury to the medial ligaments. The former England captain has his career littered with honors. Shearer won his only medal with Blackburn Rovers when his club won the Premiership title in the 1994/95 season.

He was awarded the Golden Boot in the same year for scoring 34 goals. His much-publicized move from Blackburn to Newcastle United was the most expensive of the time with a record fee of £15 million. Shearer became the first to score more than 30 goals in three successive years from 1993 to 1996.

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Having caught Manchester United's eye Shearer then rejected a move to the league champions to play for his childhood favorite Newcastle and in his first season scored 25 league goals in just 31 appearances. He was then named as the captain of his country and has scored 30 goals in 63 appearances.

Although he did not win any trophies with Newcastle, Shearer said that playing for the club was his most cherished dream, "My dream as a kid was to play for Newcastle United and to score goals at St James' Park. It doesn't matter that I didn't win a trophy because I did it my way and I lived the dream. Unless you come from the area, you wouldn't understand that mentality. Playing for the club is everything."

Officially confirming his retirement Shearer said, "There's a tear in the medial ligament which, although it does not require an operation, means I will be in a knee brace for a few weeks. That's it, it's all over. It's disappointing, but I've got no regrets. I've had a great career."

He added that as soon as he walked off the field at Stadium of Lights he knew it was finished, "Deep down I knew when I limped out of The Stadium of Light that it was probably the end and I think the fans knew it as well. They know I don't stay down unless I'm badly hurt."