8 Childhood Newcastle United Fans Who (Eventually) Signed As Players
1. Alan Shearer
What can we possibly say about Alan Shearer that hasn't already been said? A godlike figure among Newcastle supporters, he's one of the most prolific forwards in English football history. Nobody has come close to breaking his record 260 Premier League goals since he retired in 2006, and if it weren't for serious injuries in 1992, 1997, and 2000, his tally would be even more unassailable.
It goes without saying that Shearer is NUFC's ultimate legend, but he spent eight years as a professional footballer before finally joining his boyhood club. Starting out at Southampton, he joined Blackburn in 1992/93, where he was incredibly prolific, scoring 112 goals in 138 appearances, and helping them to the 1994/95 Premier League title - the only major honour of his career.
Shearer signed for Newcastle for world transfer record-breaking £15 million, finishing as the league's top scorer for the third consecutive season. His excellence continued for much of the next decade, and while Shearer's physical capabilities dwindled significantly in his latter years, he held on until 2005/06, when he finally broke Jackie Milburn's goalscoring record. A hero at both club and international level, his NUFC legacy will never be bettered.