The iconic Alan Shearer signed for Newcastle United 29 years ago in 1996 and both Les Ferdinand and Peter Beardsley were delighted with the news.
Alan Shearer is perhaps Newcastle United’s best-ever player and, if not, he’s certainly their top goal scorer with a remarkable 206 strikes in his decade at the club.
It’s bizarre to remember there was a chance the local lad may never have played for his boyhood club, even if being a ball boy in Kevin Keegan’s final game made him seem destined to.
Yet, the young starlet slipped through Newcastle’s net and instead got his big break at the opposite end of the country at Southampton.
However, after eight years of scoring goals and winning a Premier League title at Blackburn, he finally arrived at St. James’ Park in 1996.
His new teammates were delighted with such a statement signing.
Les Ferdinand had no doubt Alan Shearer would cope with his record price tag
Newcastle sealed the world transfer record-breaking signing of Shearer on July 30, 1996, signing him for £15m from Blackburn.
£15m hardly gets you anything these days but back then it was a mind-bending sum for a player and it immediately put immense pressure on Shearer.
However, fellow fan-favourite striker Les Ferdinand had little doubt he would cope with it, having already been the British record transfer when he was signed by Blackburn four years earlier.
Ferdinand, during a pre-season tour of, funnily enough, Singapore, said in an interview with a news channel: “I don’t think that £15m on his head is going to be a problem.
“I think he had the same problem when he went to Blackburn for 3.3, and he coped with that very well.
“Everyone here at Newcastle’s hoping he copes as well with the £15m as well.”
He did just that. Though Shearer never managed to win a trophy with Newcastle, he will always be adored for returning to his boyhood club and being sensational.
Peter Beardsley was delighted when Newcastle United signed Alan Shearer
Newcastle weren’t the only club chasing Shearer that summer as their great rivals Manchester United were famously in the hunt, too.
The Magpies had just missed out to Sir Alex Ferguson’s imperious machine in the famous title race of ’96, but managed to pick up a major victory off the field by signing Shearer.
The legendary Peter Beardsley believed the fact that Man Utd wanted him showed that he was worth the big price tag.
He said on the same news broadcast: “I would say he’s the best centre forward in the country.
“Everybody realises that.
“When Man United are prepared to pay the same money as we have, I think that makes you see his true value.”
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