Shearer: It's not about me

Newcastle’s new manager Alan Shearer insists the euphoria on Tyneside surrounding his appointment should not gloss over the club’s perilous future.

Shearer arrived at United’s training ground this morning to begin the task of planning the club’s escape from relegation from the Premier League.

The Magpies’ record goalscorer was last night brought in to take charge for the remaining eight matches of the season with Newcastle currently 18th in the table, two points from safety, and with just one win in their last 12 games.

After witnessing the rapturous reaction generated by his arrival as boss, Shearer is wary of any notion that everything will now be all right.

“I have to clarify straight away that I don’t want this to be about me, it’s about this football club,” he told www.nufc.co.uk.

“I was asked to see if I could help them stay in this division and that’s why I’m here – I love the football club.

“It’s a difficult situation we’re in but I believe we can do it.

“We’ve got a set of players here who, at the minute, are low on confidence and that’s my job to try and change that.

“It’s not ideal, we have got injuries, but I promise you one thing, we’ll give it a good go.”

Shearer, 38, drove through the gates of the club’s Benton training ground at 8.30am in his black Range Rover with personalised number plate and straight into a parking space reserved for him right outside the door of the complex.

The former England captain did not stop to speak to the assembled media who, along with photographers, numbered about a dozen.

Surprisingly, his swift entrance was watched by just a couple of fans, a man and his young son.

Shearer has admitted he takes over with the club in real trouble but said that was what persuaded to take the job when it was offered by owner Mike Ashley at the weekend.

“It’s a tough situation Newcastle are in and I feel deeply for this club,” said Shearer, who has completed all but one of his coaching badges but is still to gain his FIFA Pro Licence and has no managerial experience.

“It’s a club I love and I, just like many thousands of people, desperately don’t want the club to go down and I will do everything I can to try to prevent that.

“I believe I can help it along with the players, there is a nucleus here that can get this club out of trouble.

“They are very good players lacking confidence and it’s up to me and the staff to get the best out of them.”

Shearer, who has brought in former Southampton team-mate and ex-QPR manager Iain Dowie to assist him, takes over from caretaker boss Chris Hughton – who was standing in for Joe Kinnear who is recovering from heart bypass surgery.

Kinnear was brought in after Keegan resigned just eight months into his second spell at the club.

“This is for an eight-game spell, I’m looking no further than that,” Shearer told Radio 5 Live.

“Joe Kinnear is in the job at the moment and recovering well from his operation. I’m here for eight games and eight games only and [I aim] to try to keep this team in the Premier League.”

After taking training Shearer, who is a legend on Tyneside having scored 206 goals in 404 appearances during a 10-year spell at his home-town club, will be officially unveiled at a press conference at St James’ Park this afternoon.