Alan Shearer appointed Newcastle United manager

31 March 2009 23:45
Shearer, who played for the Tyneside club for ten years, will hold the reins until the end of the current season in an attempt to maintain the side's Premier League status.[LNB]The appointment comes after Shearer turned down several approaches to take a coaching role with the team but he becomes manager in place of the absent Joe Kinnear. [LNB] Related ArticlesHughton relieved at Owen's snubOwen good enough for England, says Beardsley'Newcastle won't go into administration'Newcastle players to blameKinnear return in five weeksWinless Kevin Keegan given boards backingShearer, 38, takes over from Chris Hughton who has been standing in for Kinnear, who himself only a temporary appointment when he stepped in for Kevin Keegan until the end of the season, but he needed heart surgery in February and the club has slipped back into the relegation zone in his absence.[LNB]The former England captain enjoyed playing career which included spells at Southampton and Blackburn Rovers before his £15 million move to St James' Park in July 1996 – then a world record.[LNB]Under Kenny Dalglish he led the Ewood Park side to a first league championship in 1995, claiming 34 goals in the Premier League season, and scored 130 goals in just 171 games for Blackburn.[LNB]It was Kevin Keegan who tempted Shearer to join Newcastle, and the striker repaid his hometown club with 206 goals in 404 appearances, eclipsing Jackie Milburn's 49-year club record of 200 goals.[LNB]Shearer also played 63 times for England, scoring 30 times, and being part of the team that lost to Germany on penalties in the semi-finals of Euro 96 under the stewardship of Terry Venables.[LNB]Newcastle's first opponents under Shearer as they seek to climb out of the relegation zone will be Chelsea on Saturday. Shearer has just eight games to secure top flight football for Newcastle next year.[LNB]Newcastle's last eight games[LNB]Apr 4 Chelsea (h)Apr 11 Stoke (a)Apr 19 Tottenham (a)Apr 27 Portsmouth (h)May 2 Liverpool (a)May 9 Middlesbrough (h)May 16 Fulham (h)May 24 Aston Villa (a)[LNB] 

Source: Telegraph