Shearer and Keegan in contact

Alan Shearer has spoken to Kevin Keegan about the possibility of joining his coaching staff at Newcastle.

The pair spoke on the telephone yesterday for the first time since Keegan's dramatic return to the St James' Park hotseat.

Keegan promised at his unveiling that he would contact Shearer about the prospect of becoming his number two and they are due to hold further talks at the end of next week.

Shearer, who is set to fly out to Uganda as part of BBC Sport Relief in the coming week, said on last night's Match of the Day: "I've got to ring him when I get back at the end of the week."

Asked if they had decided on a specific role for the club's record goalscorer, Shearer said: "We didn't get into that.

"I'll sit down with him at the end of the week and we'll discuss it and see what's best for everyone."

He added: "He's (Kevin) been that busy. He's gone into the football club, he's got that many staff there, he doesn't know some of their names.

"He had a huge game today, which was far more important than speaking to any individual."

Shearer, who has previously expressed a desire to enter coaching as a number one rather than as another man's assistant, insisted he had not really thought about the kind of role he would like at St James' Park.

He added: "It'll be experience. Newcastle said they were looking for experience in the first place. They've certainly got that with Kevin. He's been round the block a bit."

But he is ready with his first piece of transfer advice, saying: "I think they need a midfielder, a creative one."

Keegan has warned Shearer there is no point discussing a role for him if he does not want to be a number two and that he cannot be considered a number two if he is not prepared to put Newcastle before his punditry commitments.

"If he says to me: 'I don't want to be number two' and that is his line then there really isn't any point in having a long conversation," Keegan said in the Mail on Sunday.

"I think there is involvement for Alan at this football club and involvement at this moment could be on his terms.

"What a fantastic player to have around the club, to help people with the art of goalscoring and just talking to the players.

"But if you can't be there on a Saturday because you have to do TV work then you can't ever think of yourself as a number two."

Keegan also admitted the pair had spoken far less frequently since he failed to turn up to Shearer's testimonial in 2006.

The Magpies boss said he was on a family holiday in America at the time but admitted Shearer may have taken offence at his absence.

"Things like that, sadly, may have affected him but it hasn't affected me," he added.

"I would have thought we're still great friends."