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Newcastle United icon Alan Shearer appears set to lose one Premier League goal record - could he lose another in the coming years?
Steve Bruce has named Alan Shearer as the closest player from his era to Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland.
English football fans have been blown away by the Norwegian since he arrived at the Etihad in 2022. Haaland is just two goals shy of making the Premier League 100 club - despite playing just 107 games.
For context, Shearer holds the record for the fastest player to reach a century. He terrorised defences as a Blackburn Rovers striker and managed the feat in 124 appearances.
Steve Bruce compares Alan Shearer to Erling Haaland
Speaking to talkSPORT, former Newcastle United manager put Shearer and Haaland in the same bracket of centre-forward. He said: “I watched him (Haaland) a couple of weeks ago live. I’d only ever seen him on the TV. Until you see this guy live, I mean, he gallops around at 6ft 4in or whatever he is. A big powerful thing.
“Shearer pre-injury is the closest thing I ever played against (to Haaland). Alan, when he was younger, could run in behind. He changed his game slightly when he had two terrible injuries. Shearer is the closest (in terms of) what I played against.
“If there’s ever a goalscorer that you want in your team. Even Pep says it now, could you imagine City without him? It’s quite remarkable but his numbers are frightening.”
‘Erling Haaland can break record’ - Alan Shearer
Shearer has backed Haaland to break his Premier League goal record - providing he stays in the division. He said: "Haaland is the perfect centre-forward. His record is phenomenal, and appetite to score is fantastic. I love it.
“He's quick, strong, agile, he reacts quicker than most around the six-yard box, which is impressive, and his ability to put the ball in the back of the net is magnificent. If you're building a footballer or centre-forward, you wouldn't look too far away from Haaland being the perfect one.
"Haaland could definitely break my Premier League goal record. There's no doubt that, if he does another seven or eight years, maybe even less, then he'll have a brilliant chance of breaking it. There are so many ifs and buts but, absolutely, if Haaland was to stay in the Premier League another six or seven years, then he's definitely someone who could, and probably will break my record."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo level?
Pep Guardiola has suggested the 25-year-old has reached Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo levels of goalscoring. He said on Sunday: “You see the numbers of that guy? Of course he’s that level. Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level.
“The first goal, the way he shoots the ball, it’s like ‘I am going to score’. He has that hunger. It’s top. I said how incredibly coachable and manageable he is.
“I am tough sometimes with Haaland, but he is open-minded. He lives for the goals and sometimes the pressure cannot sustain 90 minutes, but that’s normal. Without him it would be tough, to be honest.”
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