Alan Shearer (1988–2006, Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and England)

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1970, Alan Shearer came through the Wallsend Boys Club before beginning his professional career at Southampton in 1988. He announced himself with a hat-trick on his full debut as a seventeen-year-old, becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the top flight of English football, although he was eased in gradually at Southampton before his major breakthrough in the early 1990s.

In 1992 he joined Blackburn Rovers for a British record fee, and it was there that he became one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe, scoring more than thirty league goals in three consecutive seasons. He was named Footballer of the Year in 1994 and the players’ Player of the Year in 1995, the season he led the club to the Premier League title.

In 1996 he moved to his hometown club Newcastle United for a fee of £15 million, then a world record. He spent a decade there as captain and talisman, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer and finishing his career as the Premier League’s record goalscorer with 260 goals, a mark that still stands. He retired in 2006 after a testimonial in his honour.

For England, Shearer won 63 caps and scored 30 goals between 1992 and 2000. He was the top scorer at the 1996 European Championship with five goals and captained his country before retiring from international football in 2000. He was appointed CBE, later spent a short spell in management and became a long-serving television pundit.

Career Honours

• Premier League champion, 1995
• PFA Players’ Player of the Year, 1995
• FWA Footballer of the Year, 1994
• Premier League Golden Boot, 1995, 1996 and 1997
• 63 England caps, 30 goals
• CBE
• English Football Hall of Fame, 2004

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Alan Shearer – Rookie Cards and Significant Others

Shearer’s career sits firmly in the modern sticker and trading-card era, so his run is rich and widely collected. His widely recognised rookie card is the 1990-91 Pro Set #213, issued during his Southampton days, which makes it the key target for any collection of his work.

From there he appears across the full run of 1990s and 2000s issues, from sticker albums to premium trading cards, with the early Southampton and title-winning Blackburn cards being the most sought after by collectors.

Key cards across his career:

• 1990-91 Pro Set #213 — rookie card, Southampton era
• 1991 Merlin Coca Cola Footballers #15 — early sticker issue
• 1991-92 Pro Set #111 — second-year Southampton card
• 1991-92 Merlin Shooting Stars #279
• 1992 Stadium Club #154 — early premium trading card
• 1992-93 Panini Football Stickers (England) #32 — early Panini sticker

See the 2004 Hall of Fame Inductees or browse the full list.