Shearer: 'Sir Bobby saved my Newcastle career'

Robson took over at Newcastle in 1999, and Shearer credits his former manager with resurrecting his passion for football. His comments were made in a new biographical film about Sir Bobby's life.

Shearer said: ''If it wasn't for him I would have left the football club. That was the reality of the situation. He saved my career. I didn't know where to go, what to do, what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong. He instantly came in and saved my Newcastle career.''

''I remember him pulling me into his office. He said: 'I have watched videos of you. I've studied how you are playing, I've studied your body language and I want to see you smiling again. He told me: 'I have watched you playing and everything is going away from goal. You have gotta go the other way, run towards goal'.''

''It was as simple as that but I hadn't been told it before. He did save my Newcastle career, without a shadow of a doubt.''

Shearer concluded: ''He knew what made me tick. He knew how to get the best out of senior players, how to treat them and how to look after them. He had an aura about him. He had a personality that was lovable, that was engaging and open.''