Shearer’s Career At An End?
Alan Shearer will have a scan on his knee on Thursday to discover if his playing career is over.
The Newcastle and former England legend is scheduled to play three more games before retiring at the end of the season, but limped off in the 71st minute of Monday’s 4-1 win over Sunderland.
Shearer’s final game was set up to be the home match against Chelsea on Sunday 7 May and the former England captain said he did not want to finish his career early.
“It does not look good,” said the 35-year-old.
“They think there might be a tear in the medial ligament and if that is the case then that will be it for me I am afraid.”
“I will just have to wait and see what the scan says.”
“I will be bitterly disappointed if it is the end because there are three huge games left for us,” he added.
“We are sitting in seventh place now, which might get us into Europe and after what has been a tough season that would be a great achievement for everyone.”
“I wanted to go the full distance, yes, but if I have to finish, then it’s not a bad way to finish, coming to your local enemies and scoring a goal that has helped us get a 4-1 win.”
Magpies boss Glenn Roeder has not given up hope that Shearer will play again but feels that if the win over the Black Cats proves to be his final appearance then it would be an appropriate farewell.
“We are not at that stage yet,” said Roeder. “You can talk about that maybe in a week’s time or four or five days’ time if it turns out that is the case.”
“But I will remain positive there is a chance we will still get him back on the pitch, maybe in the very last game of the season.”
“If we don’t, I suppose his memory of scoring then what would be his last goal would be a very, very happy one for different reasons.”
Shearer has scored 206 goals in 404 appearances for Newcastle since he arrived at the club for £15m from Blackburn in the summer of 1996.
He netted a total of 379 goals in 733 appearances - in a career encompassing spells at Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle.
He also scored 30 goals in 63 appearances for England.
