Every Newcastle United fan, regardless whether they were fans or not whilst Alan Shearer was playing at the club, is familiar with why the now Match of the Day pundit has such a legendary status with the fans.
To this day, he is the club's third most expensive purchase behind Michael Owen and Miguel Almiron. On 30th July 1996, it was confirmed that Super Al had come home for what was, not only a then club record fee, but a world record fee of £15million from Blackburn, where he achieved legendary status courtesy of his 131 goals he scored over four years and title winning achievement.
It was under the managers of Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson that the fans saw Shearer play his most successful runs in the team. Notably, it was Robson's first home game where the striker bagged himself five goals against Sheffield Wednesday in an 8-0 demolition of the Owls. This record has only ever been equalled in the Premier League and we are yet to see a player bag six goals in a Premier League match.
Fast forward to the final year of his career (there is just too much to mention before then), it was in January 2006 in the FA Cup third round that he accumulated a double ton in a Newcastle shirt and equalled the club record set by fellow legend, Jackie Milburn. A month later, Shearer slipped the ball past Portsmouth's Dean Kiely at the Gallowgate end to achieve many a fan's childhood ambition, to become Newcastle United's record goalscorer.
Quite fittingly, his final goal came at the hands of already relegated Sunderland from the penalty spot in front of the travelling supporters.
Before Alan Shearer, Newcastle United's iconic number nine shirt had a great reputation in producing great players like Jackie Milburn, Malcolm McDonald and Andy Cole. All of those players amongst others had their own magic about them which made them great players. However, Alan Shearer is recognised as the best number nine for Newcastle United and many will struggle to argue against that ideology.
Dates: 30th July 1996 to 8th May 2006 (3,415 days).
Transfer details: Bought for £15m from Blackburn Rovers on 30/07/1996.
Total: 404 appearances, 206 goals.
Season by Season (when Shearer played)
1996/97
Premier League: 2nd (Played: 31, Won: 17, Drawn: 9, Lost: 5, Goals for: 61, Goals against: 30, Goal difference: +31, Pts: 60)
League Cup: 4th Round (v Middlesbrough) - Played: 1, Won: 0, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 1, Goals against: 3, Goal difference: -2.
FA Cup: 4th Round (v Nottingham Forest) - Played: 3, Won: 1, Drawn: 1, Lost: 1, Goals for: 4, Goals against: 4, Goal difference: 0.
UEFA Cup: Quarter-Final (v AS Monaco) - Played: 4, Won: 2, Drawn: 0, Lost: 2, Goals for: 9, Goals against: 5, Goal difference: +4.
1997/98
Premier League: 13th (Played: 17, Won: 4, Drawn: 6, Lost: 7, Goals for: 13, Goals against: 17, Goal difference: -4, Pts: 18)
League Cup: Quarter-Final (v Liverpool) - did not feature.
FA Cup: Runners-up (v Arsenal) - Played: 6, Won: 4, Drawn: 1, Lost: 1, Goals for: 8, Goals against: 5, Goal difference: -3.
Champions League: Group Stage (v Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev, PSV Eindhoven) - did not feature.
1998/99
Premier League: 13th (Played: 30, Won: 8, Drawn: 9, Lost: 13, Goals for: 36, Goals against: 45, Goal difference: -9, Pts: 33)
League Cup: 4th Round (v Blackburn Rovers on penalties) - Played: 2, Won: 1, Drawn: 1, Lost: 0, Goals for: 2, Goals against: 1, Goal difference: +1.
FA Cup: Runners-up (v Manchester United) - Played: 6, Won: 4, Drawn: 1, Lost: 1, Goals for: 12, Goals against: 4, Goal difference: +8.
Cup Winners' Cup: Played: 2, Won: 1, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 2, Goals against: 2, Goal difference: 0.
1999/00
Premier League: 11th (Played: 37, Won: 14, Drawn: 9, Lost: 14, Goals for: 60, Goals against: 51, Goal difference: +9, Pts: 51)
League Cup: 3rd Round (v Birmingham City) - Played: 1, Won: 0, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 0, Goals against: 2, Goal difference: -2.
FA Cup: Semi-Final (v Chelsea) - Played: 6, Won: 4, Drawn: 1, Lost: 1, Goals for: 17, Goals against: 8, Goal difference: +9.
UEFA Cup: Played: 6, Won: 3, Drawn: 2, Lost: 1, Goals for: 9, Goals against: 5, Goal difference: +4
2000/01
Premier League: 11th (Played: 19, Won: 8, Drawn: 3, Lost: 8, Goals for: 20, Goals against: 20, Goal difference: 0, Pts: 27)
League Cup: 4th Round (v Birmingham City) - Played: 4, Won: 2, Drawn: 1, Lost: 1, Goals for: 8, Goals against: 6, Goal difference: +2.
FA Cup: 3rd Round (v Aston Villa) - did not feature.
2001/02
Premier League: 4th (Played: 37, Won: 21, Drawn: 7, Lost: 9, Goals for: 73, Goals against: 51, Goal difference: +22, Pts: 70)
League Cup: Quarter-Final (v Chelsea) - Played: 4, Won: 3, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 9, Goals against: 3, Goal difference: +6.
FA Cup: Quarter-Final (v Arsenal) - Played: 5, Won: 3, Drawn: 1, Lost: 1, Goals for: 8, Goals against: 6, Goal difference: +2.
Intertoto Cup: Finals (v Troyes) - did not feature.
2002/03
Premier League: 3rd (Played: 35, Won: 20, Drawn: 4, Lost: 11, Goals for: 58, Goals against: 44, Goal difference: +14, Pts: 64)
League Cup: 3rd Round (v Everton) - did not feature.
FA Cup: 3rd Round (v Wolves) - Played: 1, Won: 0, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 2, Goals against: 3, Goal difference: -1.
Champions League: Second Group Stage (v Inter Milan, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen) - Played: 12, Won: 6, Drawn: 1, Lost: 5, Goals for: 17, Goals against: 17, Goal difference: 0.
2003/04
Premier League: 5th (Played: 37, Won: 13, Drawn: 18, Lost: 7, Goals for: 52, Goals against: 35, Goal difference: +17, Pts: 57)
League Cup: 3rd Round (v West Brom) - Played: 1, Won: 0, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 1, Goals against: 2, Goal difference: -1.
FA Cup: 4th Round (v Liverpool) - Played: 2, Won: 1, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 4, Goals against: 1, Goal difference: +3.
Champions League: Third Qualifying Round (v Partizan Belgrade) - Played: 2, Won: 1, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 1, Goals against: 1, Goal difference: 0.
UEFA Cup: Semi-Final (v Marseille) - Played: 10, Won: 7, Drawn: 2, Lost: 1, Goals for: 22, Goals against: 8, Goal difference: +14.
2004/05
Premier League: 14th (Played: 28, Won: 7, Drawn: 10, Lost: 11, Goals for: 35, Goals against: 43, Goal difference: -8, Pts: 31)
League Cup: 4th Round (v Chelsea) - Played: 1, Won: 0, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 0, Goals against: 2, Goal difference: -2.
FA Cup: Semi-Final (v Manchester United) - Played: 4, Won: 3, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 6, Goals against: 5, Goal difference: +1.
UEFA Cup: Quarter-Final (v Sporting Lisbon) - Played: 9, Won: 8, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 21, Goals against: 8, Goal difference: +13.
2005/06
Premier League: 7th (Played: 32, Won: 14, Drawn: 5, Lost: 13, Goals for: 41, Goals against: 39, Goal difference: +2, Pts: 47)
League Cup: 4th Round (v Wigan Athletic) - Played: 2, Won: 1, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 1, Goals against: 1, Goal difference: 0.
FA Cup: Quarter-Final (v Chelsea) - Played: 3, Won: 2, Drawn: 0, Lost: 1, Goals for: 3, Goals against: 1, Goal difference: +2.
Intertoto Cup: Semi-Final (v Deportivo La Coruna) - Played: 4, Won: 2, Drawn: 0, Lost: 2, Goals for: 7, Goals against: 5, Goal difference: -2.
Record with Shearer
League: Played: 303, Won: 126, Drawn: 80, Lost: 98, Goals for: 449, Goals against: 375, Goal difference: +74, Pts: 458. Win ratio: 42%
Home (league): Played: 152, Won: 86, Drawn: 32, Lost: 34, Goals for: 278, Goals against: 163, Goal difference: +115, Pts: 290. Win ratio: 57%.
Away (league): Played: 151, Won: 40, Drawn: 47, Lost: 64, Goals for: 171, Goals against: 209, Goal difference: -38, Pts: 167. Win ratio: 26%.
Domestic Cup: Played: 52, Won: 29, Drawn: 6, Lost: 17, Goals for: 86, Goals against: 56, Goal difference: +30. Win ratio: 56%.
Home (all competitions): Played: 181, Won: 104, Drawn: 35, Lost: 40, Goals for: 334, Goals against: 183, Goal difference: +151. Win ratio: 57%.
Away (all competitions): Played: 179, Won: 55, Drawn: 51, Lost: 72, Goals for: 204, Goals against: 240, Goal difference: -36. Win ratio: 31%.
Neutral: Played: 6, Won: 2, Drawn: 0, Lost: 4, Goals for: 5, Goals against: 10, Goal difference: -5. Win ratio: 33%.
Total: Played: 366, Won: 161, Drawn: 86, Lost: 116, Goals for: 543, Goals against: 433, Goal difference: +110. Win ratio: 44%.
Record without Shearer
League: Played: 77, Won: 25, Drawn: 27, Lost: 25, Goals for: 97, Goals against: 105, Goal difference: -8, Pts: 102. Win ratio: 32%
Home (league): Played: 38, Won: 18, Drawn: 13, Lost: 7, Goals for: 54, Goals against: 33, Goal difference: +21, Pts: 67. Win ratio: 47%.
Away (league): Played: 39, Won: 7, Drawn: 14, Lost: 18, Goals for: 43, Goals against: 72, Goal difference: -29, Pts: 35. Win ratio: 18%.
Domestic Cup: Played: 12, Won: 8, Drawn: 2, Lost: 2, Goals for: 15, Goals against: 8, Goal difference: +7. Win ratio: 67%.
Home (all competitions): Played: 56, Won: 29, Drawn: 17, Lost: 10, Goals for: 86, Goals against: 52, Goal difference: +34. Win ratio: 52%.
Away (all competitions): Played: 58, Won: 16, Drawn: 19, Lost: 23, Goals for: 70, Goals against: 80, Goal difference: -10. Win ratio: 28%.
Total: Played: 114, Won: 45, Drawn: 36, Lost: 33, Goals for: 156, Goals against: 132, Goal difference: +24. Win ratio: 39%.
Goals
Premier League: 148
Home: 95 (Wimbledon, Sheffield Wednesday x6, Blackburn, Aston Villa x4, Man United x5, Arsenal x2, Liverpool x3, Tottenham x6, Leeds x5, Everton x7, Leicester x4, Sunderland x2, Chelsea x4, Derby x2, Nottingham Forest x3, Crystal Palace, Barnsley, Southampton x6, Coventry x3, Middlesbrough x5, Derby, Bradford, Ipswich x2, Bolton x3, Ipswich, Charlton x3, West Ham x2, West Brom x3, Man City x4, Portsmouth x2, Blackburn, Wigan x2)
Away: 53 (Leeds x7, Derby, Chelsea, Coventry x4, Aston Villa x3, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday x2, Wimbledon, Southampton x2, Liverpool x2, Man City x2, Middlesbrough x4, Bolton x3, Arsenal, Man United x2, Tottenham, Blackburn x5, Charlton, Fulham x3, Everton x2, Wolves, West Brom, West Ham, Sunderland).
League Cup: 7
Home: 5 (Blackburn, Bradford x2, Ipswich x2).
Away: 2 (Middlesbrough, Grimsby).
FA Cup: 21
Home: 13 (Charlton, Stevenage x2, Tranmere, Crystal Palace x2, Bradford, Everton, Tottenham x2, Sheffield United, Coventry, Mansfield).
Away: 5 (Stevenage, Blackburn x2, Peterborough, Wolves).
Neutral: 3 (Sheffield United, Tottenham x2).
UEFA Cup: 20
Home: 9 (CSKA Sofia, NAC Breda, Real Mallorca, PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Tblisi, Heerenveen, Olympiakos x2, Sporting Lisbon).
Away: 11 (Ferencvaros, FC Zurich, Valerenga, Real Mallorca x2, Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin x3, Panionios, Heerenveen, Olympiakos).
Cup Winners' Cup: 1
Home: 1 (Partizan Belgrade).
Champions League: 7
Home: 5 (Zeljeznicar, Dynamo Kiev, Bayer Leverkusen x3).
Away: 2 (Inter Milan x2).
Intertoto Cup: 2
Home: 2 (Dubnica x2).
Total: 206
Home: 130 (63%)
Away: 73 (35%)
Neutral: 3 (2%)
Most goals in a 5-game run: 10 - Sheffield Wednesday x5, Leeds x2, CSKA Sofia, Middlesbrough x2 (September - October 1999).
Landmark Matches
First win
Newcastle United 2 (David Batty 3, Alan Shearer 88) Wimbledon 0 - (21/08/1996)
50th goal
Nottingham Forest 1 Newcastle United 2 (Alan Shearer pen 45, Dietmar Hamann 77) - (10/03/1999)
50th Premier League goal for Newcastle
Newcastle United 2 (Alan Shearer 17, 44) Middlesbrough 1 - (03/10/1999)
100th goal
Newcastle United 4 (Laurent Robert 18, Shola Ameobi 26, Alan Shearer 37, 40) Ipswich Town 1 - (27/11/2001)
150th league match
Arsenal 1 Newcastle United 3 (Andy O'Brien 60, Alan Shearer pen 86, Laurent Robert 90) - (18/12/2001)
200th match
Newcastle United 2 (Alan Shearer 40, Clarence Acuna 76) Crystal Palace 0 - (05/01/2002)
100th home match
Newcastle United 3 (Laurent Robert 24, Alan Shearer 29, pen 45) Southampton 1 - (09/02/2002)
100th Premier League goal for Newcastle
Manchester United 5 Newcastle United 3 (Olivier Bernard 35, Alan Shearer 52, Craig Bellamy 75) - (23/11/2002)
250th match
Newcastle United 2 (Gary Speed 17, Alan Shearer 58) Tottenham Hotspur 1 (29/12/2002)
100th home league match
Newcastle United 2 (Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink og 31, Olivier Bernard 53) Chelsea 1 - (01/03/2003)
100th away league match
Charlton Athletic 0 Newcastle United 2 (Alan Shearer pen 33, Nolberto Solano 49) - (15/03/2003)
150th goal
Everton 2 Newcastle United 2 (Alan Shearer pen 59, pen 82) - (13/09/2003)
300th match and 150th home appearance
Newcastle United 3 (Shola Ameobi 30, Gerry Taggart og 37, Jermaine Jenas 59) Leicester City 1 - (07/02/2004)
250th league match
Newcastle United 3 (Patrick Kluivert 70, James Milner 78, Alan Shearer 86) West Brom 1 - (25/09/2004)
350th match
Newcastle United 1 (Patrick Kluivert 4) Tottenham Hotspur 0 - (13/03/2005)
200th goal
Newcastle United 1 (Alan Shearer 80) Mansfield Town 0 - (07/01/2006)
Record breaking goal
Newcastle United 2 (Charles N'Zogbia 41, Alan Shearer 64) Portsmouth 0 - (04/02/2006)
300th league match
Newcastle United 3 (Lee Bowyer 2, Shola Ameobi 25, Alan Shearer pen 30) Tottenham Hotspur 1 - (01/04/2006)
150th away league match
Middlesbrough 1 Newcastle United 2 (George Boateng og 29, Shola Ameobi 44) - (09/04/2006)
Last win
Sunderland 1 Newcastle United 4 (Michael Chopra 60, Alan Shearer pen 61, Charles N'Zogbia 66, Albert Luque 87) - (17/04/2006)
Further landmark matches
50th match: Newcastle United 0 - 0 Coventry City (14/03/1998)
50th league match: Chelsea 1 - 1 Newcastle United (22/08/1998)
100th match: Leicester City 2 - 0 Newcastle United (08/05/1999)
50th home match: Newcastle United 0 - 1 Aston Villa (07/08/1999)
50th away match: Chelsea 1 - 0 Newcastle United (11/09/1999)
50th away league match: Bradford City 2 - 0 Newcastle United (18/12/1999)
100th league match: Wimbledon 2 - 0 Newcastle United (22/01/2000)
50th home league match: Newcastle United 0 - 1 Chelsea (04/03/2000)
150th match: Derby County 0 - 0 Newcastle United (06/05/2000)
100th away match: Liverpool 3 - 0 Newcastle United (06/03/2002)
200th league match: Newcastle United 2 - 2 Ipswich Town (16/03/2002)
150th away match: Marseille 2 - 0 Newcastle United (06/05/2004)
150th home league match and 200th home appearance: Newcastle United 1 - 3 Liverpool (19/03/2006)
400th match: Charlton Athletic 3 - 1 Newcastle United (26/03/2006)