You’ve all heard the familiar story, haven’t you? Alan Shearer is put on the spot and insists he turned down Manchester United twice in the 1990s. And he speaks about how he didn’t regret it – because he was able to play for his boyhood clun and become record goalscorer.
Well, what is true is that he certainly turned down United once. When he was a Southampton striker, Alex Ferguson made an attempt to sign him in 1992, and thought he had Shearer in the bag – only for Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish to usurp the offer, utilising Jack Walker’s riches to blow United’s financial package out of the water.
At Ewood Park, Shearer became known as the best striker in the country, and even won a Premier League title in 1995, but there was always the sense that he was destined to thrive on a bigger stage. When Blackburn regressed in 1996, and Shearer starred at that summer’s European Championships, the time had come for him to move on.
It seemed inevitable that he would, this time, go to Manchester United.
“I was very close to going to United,” Shearer told Sky Sports, “in fact, I’d sort of chosen a house I was gonna buy. Then I thought, you know what, I’m gonna go back home.”
And that’s the popular narrative. Shearer turned down United twice. When it is put to him, he insists he doesn’t regret it, because of the legacy he carved at St. James’ Park. All very noble… if it had worked out like that.
But it hadn’t.
Shearer didn’t turn down Manchester United at all. In fact, he agreed to join the club, and was set to do so – until the intervention of another man who said no instead. That man was Jack Walker, the Blackburn Rovers owner and benefactor, who told Shearer in no uncertain terms that he would move to Old Trafford ‘over my dead body’, such was his Lancashire-rivalry borne hatred for United.
Shearer’s success at Euro 96 had made the player see his future was away from Blackburn and when United made an enquiry, the initial response that it would take a figure that comfortably eclipsed the English record of £8m that Liverpool had paid for Stan Collymore. Newcastle were interested too. United’s executives spoke to Newcastle’s and agreed that both clubs would offer £10m and allow Shearer to make his choice.
Shearer met Alex Ferguson. He asked for the number nine shirt and to take penalties. Ferguson said no problem to the shirt – but Cantona took the penalties. If he missed one, the conversation could be revisited. That was good enough for Shearer. Martin Edwards, in his autobiography, revealed that he and Shearer’s representative Tony Stephens agreed a contract.
But when Edwards attempted to contact Stephens to get the paperwork sorted, he couldn’t get hold of him. When he spoke to Freddy Shepherd, the Newcastle chairman, Edwards was informed that the Magpies had reneged on their agreement and had put in an offer of £15m which had been accepted by Rovers.
“It was only afterwards that Shearer revealed to Alex that Jack Walker was in tears about him leaving,” Edwards revealed.
The rest was history. This week, curiously enough, sees a similar scenario unfold, with Benjamin Sesko deciding whether to join Newcastle or Manchester United. He may well, like Shearer, follow the money.
Shearer may well take the moment to suggest he’d made the decision not to sign for United too. And even though certain media outlets have indulged him in the last 29 years, unfortunately, Shearer cannot rewrite history. He did decide to sign for Manchester United – but wasn’t allowed, so had to go to Newcastle.