British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a keen Newcastle United fan, paid tribute on Monday to club-legend Alan Shearer, who retired a few weeks earlier than planned owing to a knee injury.
”I should say for the purposes of the record that I think he’s been a fantastic servant for Newcastle United and is a great player and a great man,” Blair said at his monthly press conference in London.
Former England captain Shearer (35) had been due to bring down the curtain on his goal-laden career at the end of the current season.
But the Magpies skipper suffered a knee-ligament injury in Newcastle’s 4-1 derby win at rivals Sunderland on April 17, which ruled him out of the rest of the current campaign.
Blair has pledged not to stand for a fourth term in office at the next election, due in May 2010 at the latest, and is under pressure from some of his own Labour Party MPs to quit sooner rather than later.
Asked if there were any lessons he could draw from Shearer’s decision to call it a day before his planned retirement, Blair said: ”My knees are fine. My knees are in great working order.”
Bustling striker Shearer scored 206 goals for Newcastle and in February broke fellow Magpies legend Jackie Milburn’s club record of 200. His final goal was a penalty in the victory away to Sunderland. — Sapa-AFP