Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher
Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher
Jamie Carragher predicted he would have the Toon Army on his case after Alan Shearer ended up in seventh place in his list of the greatest ever Premier League forwards - and so it proved.
Shearer was judged on the period between 1994 and 1997 in Monday Night Football's scoring system, which awarded points based on a player's achievements, such as the individual accolades they won, the trophies they lifted and the number of top-flight goals they plundered during their three best seasons. It is worth noting that Shearer, the Premier League's record marksman, bagged 90 top-flight goals in that time as he helped fire Blackburn Rovers to the title in 1995 before completing his world-record move to Newcastle United a year or so later.
Although Shearer came second in the public vote, and third in the Monday Night Football list, Carragher ranked Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah and Thierry Henry ahead of the Newcastle legend. Why?
"I hold quite a high stock with the trophy situation," the former Liverpool defender explained. "I know he won the Premier League and, listen, he was one of the faces of the start of the Premier League, but I just think of him making that move to Newcastle.
"Newcastle are a top team, it's the world's record transfer fee and he does his job. I think he ends up being player of the year two or three times, which is pretty sensational.
"I'm not saying they had to win the league but even an FA Cup or UEFA Cup - be the man that scores the winning goal in the big cup final. I know they had a couple of FA Cup finals and didn't win them.
"That's just the little thing when I think of other players who are picked ahead of him. It's because they won a lot of trophies and maybe won big games themselves. That's the only thing that probably lets it down."
Carragher was well-aware that he was 'going to have the Toon army' on his case as a result and Geordies certainly made their feelings clear on social media afterwards. Newcastle fan Roger Doyle, for instance, wrote: "Stick Shearer in those teams that Henry played for and see how many more goals he'd have scored. If you'd stuck Henry in half of the teams Shearer played in, he'd not have scored half as many."
Henry, who ended up in top spot, previously hailed Shearer as the most lethal striker he had ever seen inside the box and the Arsenal great was keen to pay tribute once again.
"That's a raw finisher," he added. "I didn't have that in my locker so the admiration is crazy because he is the type of guy that will make any cross. Even the bad one low in your feet, he will go and get.
"You know, sometimes, when wingers make the striker better? I have to say, sometimes, he made the cross of the winger like a good cross when he had no right to score from those positions. You have to give him his respect, but it's Jamie's list."