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Alan Shearer scored 30 goals for England - here is his 29th, a flying header against Germany.
Shear classBy Clive Hetherington. Tuesday, 18 April 2006.
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19 February 1992 |
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| VIDEO: Alan Shearer v France |
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Where it all began...Shearer, Wembley and a clinical turn and finish. Click here to get a FAN number, then enjoy the goal. |
Alan Shearer, one of England's greatest ever strikers, faces an anxious wait to see if his prolific career is over.
Having injured his knee playing for Newcastle against Sunderland on Easter Monday, the 35-year will have a scan on Friday to determine if he will play again this season.
 If it proves to be his final appearance as a professional, Shearer at least went out in style with a goal - the welcome habit that England fans will remember with great fondness.
The striker's Three Lions career reached its peak during the unforgettable Euro 96 campaign when he won the tournament's golden boot as leading scorer.
It was a special time for Shearer, whose five goals in the competition helped England on their way to heroic defeat by Germany in an agonising semi-final penalty shoot-out at Wembley. Later that summer, the Geordie striker joined his beloved Newcastle United in a then-world record £15million move from Blackburn Rovers.
Shearer had marked his England debut under Graham Taylor in February 1992 with a goal in the 2-0 Wembley defeat of France. It was the first of 30 goals in 63 appearances at senior level for his country.
 It is perhaps significant to remember that in the run up to the 1994 World Cup Shearer was ruled out with a cruciate knee ligament injury as England failed to qualify for the Finals.
However, he returned with a bang two years later on home soil in Euro 96. He scored in the opening match, a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, and followed up with another goal as England beat arch-rivals Scotland 2-0.
Shearer had developed an uncanny understanding with strike partner Teddy Sheringham. And it was seen at its most potent in the stunning 4-1 eclipse of Holland as they shared the goals, with Shearer's first coming from the penalty spot.
After the quarter-final shoot-out victory over Spain, Shearer opened the scoring again against Germany in only the third minute as England scented glory. But, unfortunately, it wasn't to be.
 Glenn Hoddle then succeeded Terry Venables as England coach and made Shearer captain, a role he revelled in. But Shearer figured in only one World Cup finals tournament, in France in 1998.
He netted in England's opening game, a 2-0 win over Tunisia, and scored a penalty in the 2-2 draw with Argentina in St Etienne on the night Michael Owen confirmed his arrival on the international stage with a wonder goal.
Again, however, penalties were England's undoing. With knee problems increasingly affecting him, Shearer decided to retire from international football at only 29 after Euro 2000.
But - perhaps like his Newcastle career - he marked his final England appearance with a penalty goal in the 3-2 defeat at the hands of Romania.
SHEAR CLASS
18 April 2006
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