Injuries changed my game, says Al
FORMER Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer admitted that the injuries he suffered during his time at St James’ Park forced him to change his game towards the latter stages of his playing career.
The Magpies’ record top scorer netted 206 goals in 405 games during his time in the North East. The 53-year-old retired from professional football at the end of the 2005/06 season.
But across his 18-year playing career, Shearer was the victim of several serious injuries. During his time at Blackburn Rovers, the striker missed 43 games of the 1992/93 season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Leeds United.
He would be absent for
231 days and would ultimately affect England’s chances of qualification for the World Cup in 1994.
However, he would once again suffer another two injuries after completing his move to Newcastle.
Shearer would miss
38 games across all competitions during the 1997/98 after sustaining an injury in a pre-season friendly against Everton. And during his final season at the club, the striker suffered a tear to his medial collateral ligament, subsequently bringing forward his retirement.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer, along with fellow co-hosts Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, were asked if there were any points in their respective careers where they felt they needed to retire.
The former Newcastle striker admitted that he was worried about the injuries he sustained during his time at St James’ Park, revealing he had to change his game to cope with the modern game.
“(The injuries) Definitely worried me, yeah. The first one not so much, but the second and third one without doubt,” Shearer said. “I had to change my game; I lost a yard of pace. There was never a time where I thought I was done here.
“I always wanted to play to the end. The only time I went back on a U-turn was when I said I was going to retire at 34 in 2004/05.
“I said that was going to be my last season but then Graeme Souness persuaded me to stay on for another year. It never got that bad that I was going to retire because of injuries or whatever it was.”