Alan Shearer is Newcastle United through and through and was one of British football's most loyal players who stayed with the Magpies despite never getting his hands on a major trophy. Does he regret turning down Sir Alex Ferguson's call to join Manchester United? Absolutely not. 'I've never regretted that decision for a second' remained his stance in 2017.
The iconic former English striker made history at St James' Park after choosing to join his hometown club over the Red Devils. He bagged 148 of his record-setting 260 Premier League goals with the Tyneside giants. But he was also helped along the way by some of the club's heroes, who donned the black and white stripes with as much pride as he did.
Shearer named three former teammates in an all-time Newcastle XI while speaking to the Chronicle's John Gibson (via the club's website). He also included several legends before his time, and one has to wonder whether any of Eddie Howe's 2025 Carabao Cup winners would now make the lineup.
Shay Given
Goalkeeper
Shay Given was an excellent shot-stopper who commanded his box with a dominant presence, ensuring his defence kept the opposition at bay. The Irish goalkeeper's main attribute was his athleticism. He pulled off several eye-catching saves, including a stunning stop to deny Sunderland's Kevin Phillips in the Wear-Tyne derby in 2002.
The Magpies' former number one joined the club from Blackburn Rovers in 1997 for £2.5 million, and he quickly established himself as a fan favourite. He spent 12 years between the sticks for the Tyneside outfit before leaving for Manchester City in a £7 million deal in 2009, having been named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2002 and 2006.
Shay Given Newcastle Career
Competitions
Appearances
Clean Sheets
Goals Conceded
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Trophies
David Craig
Right-Back
David Craig is acknowledged as one of the best full-backs in Newcastle's history. He became infatuated with the club and the local area. The Northern Irish right-back's 18-year association with the Magpies tells the story of his loyalty, and he was also a key man for the club during the 1960s and 1970s.
He was superb at reading the game and extremely reliable regarding his availability, but unfortunately, he missed two matches through injury: the 1974 FA Cup final and the 1976 League Cup final. He got his hands on the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969, being a member of the side that beat Hungarian outfit Ujpesti Dozsa 6-2 on aggregate in the final.
David Craig Newcastle Career
Competitions
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Trophies
Bobby Moncur
Centre-Back
Bobby Moncur will be named in any debate over Newcastle's greatest-ever defender, but he was also an inspiring captain whose leadership qualities raised the standards of his teammates. He was signed as an apprentice during his teenage years before breaking into the senior team and taking the captain's armband.
The legendary Scottish centre-back was at the double in the Magpies' 3-0 first-leg win over Ujpesti Dozsa in the Fairs Cup final in 1969. His last outing in the black and white stripes was a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in the 1974 FA Cup final, but he'd already cemented his legacy as one of St James' Park's heroes.
|Bobby Moncur Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|First Division|FA Cup|EFL Cup|Fairs Cup|
|Appearances|279|17|10|22|
|Goals|3|0|0|4|
|Assists|1|0|0|0|
|Yellow Cards|1|0|0|0|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|1|
|---|
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Jonathan Woodgate
Centre-Back
Jonathan Woodgate arrived at Newcastle from Leeds United in January 2003 for £9 million, and the Englishman's stock grew amid several rock-solid displays at the back. The 6-foot centre-back used his tall frame to deal with some of the fiercest strikers during that era, including Didier Drogba, during a UEFA Cup semi-final encounter with Marseille.
Shearer claimed the club had pulled off a major coup by signing Woodgate at the price they paid when compared to Rio Ferdinand, who joined Manchester United from Leeds for £29 million:
"We paid £9 million or £10 million and I think that Jonathan would have been a snip at £20 million.
Woodgate spent just a year at St James' Park before Real Madrid came calling, and he joined the La Liga giants for £13.4 million in a shock swoop. He struggled to replicate his Newcastle form at the Santiago Bernabeu and will forever be pondering what he could have achieved had he stayed in Tyneside.
|Jonathan Woodgate Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|Premier League|UEFA Cup|FA Cup|
|Appearances|28|5|2|
|Goals|0|0|0|
|Assists|1|0|0|
|Yellow Cards|4|0|0|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|
|---|
Frank Clark
Left-Back
Frank Clark is fourth on Newcastle's all-time appearance-making list. He was a technically gifted, pacey, and clever English left-back who surged up and down the channel. He was in the team that won the Fairs Cup alongside Moncur and Craig, one of his highlights during his 13-year stay in Tyneside.
The Rowlands Gill-born full-back was also a member of the Magpies side that earned promotion in 1964-65. He constantly displayed consistency, albeit not gaining too much reputation from the Toon Army. After joining Nottingham Forest on a free transfer in 1975, he won the English First Division title and the European Champion Clubs' Cup.
|Frank Clark Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|First Division|FA Cup|EFL Cup|Fairs Cup|
|Appearances|346|25|19|23|
|Goals|0|0|1|0|
|Assists|3|0|0|0|
|Yellow Cards|6|0|0|0|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|1|
|---|
Chris Waddle
Midfield
Chris Waddle was nicknamed 'Magic Chris', and he weaved his magic during five years at Newcastle, which came during the early stages of his career. A two-footed attacking midfielder, he could conjure up brilliance at any given moment and possessed incredible creativity to unlock defences.
The 1993 PFA Player of the Year went from playing non-league to representing England at World Cups and catching the eye with several standout performances. But he also made his mark for the Geordies, bagging 18 goals as they secured promotion to the top flight in 1984 before he moved to Tottenham Hotspur a year later.
|Chris Waddle Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|First Division|EFL First Division|FA Cup|EFL Cup|
|Appearances|36|134|12|9|
|Goals|13|33|4|2|
|Assists|5|11|0|0|
|Yellow Cards|0|1|0|0|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|0|
|---|
Paul Gascoigne
Midfield
Paul Gascoigne was every English fan's favourite footballer growing up during his era when he put the world on notice with stellar showings to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award. He was a crucial asset for the Magpies as they battled relegation and still showcased natural talent, boasting skill and footballing IQ on another level alongside a remarkable passing range.
“In their pomp, the two Pauls - Gascoigne and Scholes - were the best passers of the ball I ever had with England. Gazza was the very best of his generation, a mad lad but with a big heart and an even bigger talent" - Alan Shearer
Gascoigne's development came at Newcastle, and he played three seasons at senior level before joining Tottenham in 1988 for a then-British record £2.2 million. Gazzamania took over in the 1990s, but it wouldn't have been possible without his growth on Tyneside.
|Paul Gascoigne Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|First Division|FA Cup|EFL Cup|
|Appearances|92|4|8|
|Goals|20|3|1|
|Assists|1|0|0|
|Yellow Cards|6|0|1|
|Red Cards|2|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|
|---|
Peter Beardsley
Midfield
Peter Beardsley was a jack of all trades and one of English football's most celebrated talents. His dribbling abilities often left defenders in a frenzy, especially during his two spells with his boyhood club, Newcastle. He was potent while also a playmaking machine, and his all-around game made him one of the Magpies' most versatile players, flourishing as a centre-forward and in midfield.
"Peter Beardsley, I think (Best Newcastle player in history). He was unbelievable, a great player" - Alan Shearer on The Rest is Football podcast (via One Football)
Beardsley's youth career was spent with Newcastle before heading to Carlisle United for senior football, but he eventually returned to Gallowgate to represent his hometown club. He left for Liverpool in 1987, where he won the title twice before returning again in 1993 to continue finding the back of the net for his beloved Magpies.
|Peter Beardsley Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|Premier League|First Division|UEFA Cup|FA Cup|EFL Cup|EFL First Division|
|Appearances|129|112|11|17|21|35|
|Goals|47|43|4|3|4|20|
|Assists|26|2|0|6|3|5|
|Yellow Cards|13|1|0|0|0|0|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|0|0|0|
|---|
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Kevin Keegan
Attack
Kevin Keegan won the Ballon d'Or twice in his career and joined Newcastle three years after his second win, having earned a reputation as one of Europe's best forwards. He helped the Magpies clinch promotion in 1984 with his clinical finishing abilities and passionate personality that followed him into the dugout once he hung up his boots.
The Entertainers era arrived when Keegan took over at St James' Park in 1992 overseeing promotion to the Premier League a year later. Keegan was as formidable on the touchline against Sir Alex Ferguson as he was leading the line for club and country, and he's one of the best attacking talents in English football history.
|Kevin Keegan Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|EFL First Division|FA Cup|EFL Cup|
|Appearances|78|3|4|
|Goals|48|0|1|
|Assists|17|0|0|
|Yellow Cards|2|0|1|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|
|---|
Alan Shearer
Attack
Alan Shearer is Mr Newcastle, and there was little chance he was leaving himself out of an all-time XI of Magpies legends. The Premier League's all-time top scorer joined his hometown club from Blackburn Rovers in 1996 after firing Rovers to the title in 1995.
Their former captain won the club's Player of the Year award on four occasions before calling time on his career in July 2006. He wore the black and white stripes on European duty, becoming the Tynesiders' top scorer in European competition with 30 goals in 52 games.
Shearer was the ultimate goalscorer, winning the Premier League's Golden Boot thrice and finishing as the UEFA Cup top scorer twice. He belongs in any dream Newcastle XI and must be among the names debated in an all-time English top-flight ranking.
|Alan Shearer Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|Premier League|UEFA Champions League|UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|FA Cup|EFL Cup|
|Appearances|303|10|29|2|36|16|
|Goals|148|6|20|1|21|7|
|Assists|40|1|3|0|12|1|
|Yellow Cards|29|1|3|1|8|1|
|Red Cards|1|0|0|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|0|0|0|
|---|
Jackie Milburn
Attack
Jackie Milburn finishes off Shearer's XI and the Ashington-born striker was just as prolific, holding the club's all-time goalscoring record before Shearer broke it in 2006. He was Newcastle's talismanic forward as they claimed the FA Cup three times during the 1950s and footballing success was in his blood.
Milburn played senior football for Newcastle for 14 years and was a big-game player, which came in handy for the Magpies when the FA Cup finals came about. His 45-second opener in a 2-0 win against Blackpool was the fastest goal in an FA Cup final, and that record stood for over 40 years.
“Every Geordie knows what Jackie Milburn means to this club and therefore this is a special time to remember him. For another Geordie – this one from a council estate in Gosforth – to overtake Wor Jackie’s goalscoring record is unbelievable for me" - Alan Shearer
|Jackie Milburn Newcastle Career|
|Competitions|First Division|FA Cup|EFL First Division|
|Appearances|290|44|63|
|Goals|150|23|27|
|Assists|5|1|0|
|Yellow Cards|0|0|0|
|Red Cards|0|0|0|
|Trophies|0|0|0|
|---|
All statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt- correct as of 26/03/2025.
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