Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has admitted that one of his “idols” is guilty of making one of the worst decisions in the club’s history.

Shearer's legacy at Newcastle unmatched

When it comes to genuine St James’ Park icons, Shearer’s name rightly appears at the top of the list when supporters are asked who the best footballer in Magpies history is.

No Newcastle player has scored more goals for the club than the former England international, who is also still leading the way in the Premier League overall, netting 260 times in total in the competition.

While Shearer forever missed out on winning major trophies at Newcastle, he lived out his childhood dream of representing his boyhood club and scoring endless goals in front of the Gallowgate End.

The legendary striker played under numerous managers at St James’, from Kenny Dalglish to Bobby Robson, but even great figures such as those mentioned weren’t immune from making errors during their time in charge.

Shearer reveals huge error Dalglish made at Newcastle

Speaking in 2024, with quotes provided by Give Me Sport, Shearer claimed that Dalglish’s decision to sell Les Ferdinand in 1997 was among the worst calls in Newcastle’s history.

Shearer is spot on in his assessment regarding Ferdinand, and while he clearly still sees Dalglish as a hero of his own, there is no question that selling his former attacking teammate was a bad call looking back.

Ferdinand and Shearer were devastating together, with both scoring in the iconic 5-0 win at home to Manchester United in the Premier League in 1996, and the former still had plenty of years left in him.

Granted, the Englishman was 30 years of age when Newcastle opted to move him on to Tottenham, but he showed over a six-year spell in north London that he could have continued scoring goals for the Magpies.

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Dalgilsh’s playing and managerial careers are legendary ones, with the Scot considered by many as the greatest player in Liverpool’s history, but it never worked out for him as Newcastle boss, which was a huge shame, especially for Shearer.