Soccer pundit Alan Shearer.
Soccer pundit Alan Shearer. (Image: Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Alan Shearer, the iconic former Newcastle United and England forward, is set to be a key figure in Amazon Prime Video's commentary team for this season's Champions League, which kicked off last night.
Shearer, who holds the record for the most goals scored in the Premier League, has earned high praise since hanging up his boots. His insightful analysis on BBC's Match of the Day and smooth transition into commentary have been widely applauded.
This piece delves into the life that Shearer has built for himself away from the football pitch, including his family life.
According to Wales Online, Shearer has accumulated a substantial personal wealth both during and after his playing career.
The 54 year old made headlines when he transferred to Newcastle United from Blackburn Rovers for a record-breaking £15m in 1996, having already clinched the league title with his former club and made a name for himself at Southampton, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
His media work with the BBC, Al-Jazeera and now Amazon, coupled with his podcast, The Rest is Football with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, has ensured he remains one of the most recognisable figures in football.
His earnings from the BBC alone amount to £380,000. However, Shearer's BBC salary saw a notable decrease this year, with the pundit experiencing a £65,000 reduction from his 2022/23 earnings of £445,000.
Despite this, financial worries are likely far from his mind, as Goal estimates his net worth to be a staggering £40m.
The ex-England skipper Alan Shearer and his wife Lainya are a true love story. Meeting while Shearer played for Southampton, they tied the knot in 1991 after he spent his second season living with her parents on the south coast.
The pair have since welcomed three children into the world. Alan has often shared light-hearted tales of his wife's ire when he transitioned from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers in 1992.
Lainya, then pregnant with their firstborn Chloe, didn't mask her displeasure at the move. Shearer recalled Lainya's reaction to their new abode with humour during an episode of The Rest of Football: "When she was eight months pregnant and looked at me in the car and said, 'What the f*** have you done? '".
Despite Shearer's fame, Lainya prefers a life away from the public gaze, seldom seen in the limelight that surrounds her husband.
Still, her name surfaced in conversation when Alan chatted with Ruud Gullit the former Newcastle boss known for his strained relations with Shearer. Gullit, who controversially benched Shearer for a key derby game against Sunderland in August 1999, recounted how time mends fences, sharing a funny story from when they met again during the 2014 World Cup.
Ruud Gullit shared a nostalgic moment with The Sun, saying: "The funny thing is that during the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, we were working together for ITV. We ended up at a party and we were just laughing together and drinking."
"Alan's wife came over and said, 'I cannot believe it... in our house, you were the No 1 guy we hated and now you two are laughing and joking with each other'. We'd met a lot of times in TV studios but that night we really got on so well. Sometimes you cannot agree but you can still respect one another."
Alan Shearer, the Newcastle United icon, had previously suggested that if they had won against Sunderland, he might have been the one to leave the club instead of Gullit, who departed three days after the notorious incident where Shearer was benched. Since those turbulent days, Shearer and Gullit have patched things up, as evidenced by their amicable interaction recounted by Gullit from their time commentating together at the World Cup for ITV.
In other news, Shearer's impact extends beyond the pitch through his family, with his childrenson Will and daughters Chloe and Holliegaining significant attention on social media. They command a strong following, particularly on Instagram, where they collectively boast tens of thousands of followers.
Hollie, in particular, has made a name for herself with her singing prowess on TikTok.
Chloe, meanwhile, is carving out her own path in talent management and has recently played a role in Soccer Aid.
Alan Shearer's daughters have certainly shown a penchant for sportsmen in their romantic lives. Hollie Shearer is currently in a relationship with 28 year old England rugby player Joe Marchant, who is plying his trade at Stade Francais over in France.
The Newcastle United legend has humorously noted that since Hollie began dating Marchant, she has developed a keener interest in rugby than the beautiful game of football. Shearer once quipped about being relieved with her choice, remarking: "I'm just glad it's not a footballer."
Chloe Shearer, on the other hand, is romantically linked with Micky Young, a 35 year old former scrum-half widely known for his time with Newcastle Falcons. Young recently transitioned to Gloucester after many years with the Falcons.
In honour of Young's contributions to the club, Newcastle Falcons are set to hold a testimonial event for him, featuring a special football dinner attended by none other than Alan Shearer himself.