Former Newcastle United forward Alan Shearer has shared his pick for the club’s greatest player of all time. Shearer himself is an icon on Tyneside after a decade at St James’ Park, scoring 260 goals in 405 appearances and still owning the record for the highest number of goals in Premier League history.
He also set numerous club milestones, including becoming Newcastle’s all-time leading scorer and their top marksman in European competition. In addition, he finished as the top flight's leading goalscorer in three consecutive seasons between 1994 and 1997.
Widely regarded as one of the standout players of his era, many Geordie supporters naturally consider Shearer the club’s finest. However, Newcastle’s history is filled with legendary names in black and white, and Shearer has instead pointed to another figure as the one he believes deserves to be called the club’s greatest.
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Alan Shearer Names Peter Beardsley as Magpies' Greatest-Ever Player
Peter Beardsley
With a rich history of players to choose from Newcastle's history - including the likes of Kevin Keegan, Paul Gascoigne, Bobby Moncur, Shay Given and Hughie Gallacher - Shearer opted for the much-loved figure of Peter Beardsley ahead of the iconic Jackie Milburn.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer said:
“I wouldn’t ever say myself, so Peter Beardsley I think. He was unbelievable, he was a great player. I didn’t see Jackie Milburn but certainly in my era, Peter Beardsley.”
Beardsley was known for technical prowess and individual ability, and he was a key figure across two different spells at the club. Known for his impact on and off the pitch, he is adored by the fans for his time in the North East.
He also captained the side as well and managed 121 goals and 42 assists in 326 games. A two-time Newcastle player of the year, he featured in the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions and was later inducted into the English Hall of Fame.
Peter Beardsley Newcastle United Statistics by Season
First Spell
Seasons
1983/84
1984/85
1985/86
1986/87
Second Spell
1993/94
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
In terms of Milburn, he hailed from a different era. He brought great success to the club in the 1950s, scoring more goals than any other player in the club's history outside of Shearer.
A club icon, he spent almost the entirety of his career with the Magpies, having grown up in that part of the world and helped his side to three FA Cups in 1951, 1952 and 1955. Like Beardsley, he was later inducted into the Hall of Fame.
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peter beardsley
While Beardsley is still regarded as a legend on Tyneside, the midfielder's post-playing career has not been without controversy. He took up various backroom and coaching roles at Newcastle after hanging up his boots, but he was the subject of a Premier League inquiry in 2003 amid accusations of bullying two youth players. Concerns over Beardsley's coaching re-emerged in 2018 when he was accused of racism, and subsequently charged by the Football Association with three counts of using racist language towards players.
Beardsley left Newcastle and in 2019 was suspended from all football activity for 32 weeks, having been found guilty by the FA. The panel commented that they did not believe Beardsley to be inherently racist, but he had made offensive remarks based on players' race and ethnicity.
Beardsley has continued coaching young players in the local area, but has not taken any more roles at Newcastle United.