The former Newcastle United captain Alan Shearer is said to be in line for a sensational return to the relegation-threatened North-east club as temporary manager until the end of the season, according to reports in Britain. Shearer has long been linked with the manager's post at St James' Park since retiring from playing in 2006 but with the club facing the real possibility of relegation from the lucrative Premier League, it seems the 38-year-old looks set to answer owner Mike Ashley's SOS call, the BBC and Sky Sports reported late on Tuesday, with Shearer said to be thrashing out terms with Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias before an official unveiling tomorrow. It is thought that Shearer is keen to add the former QPR, Crystal Palace and Charlton manager Iain Dowie to his coaching staff.
The news sparked a frenzy on Tyneside this morning with television crews and fans alike flocking to St James' in the hope of witnessing a homecoming. The former England striker will have just eight games to save the club from dropping out of England's top tier of football with the club currently third from bottom and two points adrift of Blackburn Rovers in 17th place. The club have loomed from crisis-to-crisis this term and if Shearer's appointment is confirmed he will be the fourth manager to take charge of the side since the start of the season.
Kevin Keegan resigned in September following a falling out with the club's hierarchy over his say in player transfers. Chris Hughton took over the reins for the first time shortly afterwards for three weeks before the former Wimbledon manager Joe Kinnear was named interim boss at the end of September. Kinnear, 62, looked to be steering the club to safer waters but was taken ill at the team's hotel at the beginning of February with a heart condition, leaving assistants Hughton and Colin Calderwood in charge. The team have struggled badly under their charge, drawing two games and losing three, and are in real danger of dropping out of the Premier League for the first time since their promotion to it in 1993.
It was believed Kinnear would make his return to management duties for the crucial game against fellow relegation strugglers Stoke City on April 11, but the club may feel the burden is too much for him to bear following triple heart bypass surgery. Shearer is a legend on Tyneside for goal scoring exploits that saw him net over 200 goals in the Magpies's colours and would be the fans' choice.
Shearer was offered a position on Newcastle's coaching staff when Keegan became manager early in 2008 but turned it down. As a player, he scored 30 goals in 63 appearances for England before retiring from international football in 2000. Although born in Newcastle, he made his league debut for Southampton and won a league championship medal with Blackburn Rovers before moving to Newcastle for a then world record fee of £15 million (Dh78.9m) in 1996.
He stayed at Newcastle until he retired in 2006 having scored a club record 206 goals in 404 appearances. He has consistently been linked with managerial jobs since he retired, particularly at his hometown club, but until now has not taken anything he has been offered. His first managerial act, should he accept the job, will be to lift the players' spirits for the visit of Chelsea to St James' Park on Saturday.
sluckings@thenational.ae *With Agencies
