Alan Shearer - One of the best strikers in the Premier League

The striker is the man with such a pivotal role on the field. His job is to score the goals and make sure his team wins. But what makes a striker famous? His goal tally? His style of play? His accomplishments or his records? Its all of the above. Alan Shearer was one such striker.

Alan Shearer was a name that goalkeepers feared, something that made every goalkeeper in the Premier League tremble. He was that good a player. Blessed with amazing goal scoring skills, Alan Shearer bagged 379 goals in 733 appearances for clubs like Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. He gained most of his fame at Newcastle United for scoring 206 times in 404 appearances, which is brilliant for any striker.

Alan Shearer was the classic number 9. The man would deliver provided he was fed properly. And he would never disappoint. Out of the 206 goals he scored for the Geordies, 49 were from his head. Many would find it hard to believe that when Shearer first started out at Southampton, he was actually an attacking midfielder. He was actually the feeder before he became such a brilliant deliverer. He had the strength of an ox and hence was the target man for club and country. Although he was strong, it sometimes led to fouls. Most importantly, there were only two red cards he received in his career, but one red card was later rescinded on appeal.

Shearer was like Lampard on the penalty spot. He knew his target, knew how much power to put, had the composure and the calm attitude and almost always found the back of the net. He netted 45 times from the penalty spot for Newcastle and scored 5 free kicks in his career.

Shearer did not win too many trophies in his career except for winning the Premier League title with Blackburn in the 1994-95, but he had many honours to his own name. He won the Golden Boot in the EURO ’96 scoring 5 times in the European competition, he was the top scorer for two consecutive years in the UEFA Cup in the 2003-04 and the 2004-05 seasons. He won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions and is the current Premier League Platinum boot holder, which is awarded to the person scoring the most goals in the Premier League. I could go on and on but you get the gist.

And that is his legacy. A name that will forever be written in the footballing books, a name that will never be forgotten. A man of pure skill, power and sheer brilliance. A true Geordie, Alan Shearer.