Alan Shearer took the first step to becoming manager of Newcastle United after deciding to stay at St James' Park for another 12 months as a player.
 Shearer will have the title player-coach from now until his new contract runs out at the end of next season and he will now qualify for a testimonial at St James' Park. And it's clear that Freddy Shepherd is planning for the club's long-term future by lining up Shearer as manager - but only when Graeme Souness decides to stand down. Indeed, Shepherd will be looking to Souness to take Shearer under his wing in the next couple of years. Shepherd and his chairman Douglas Hall made the decision to splash out a world- record £15m to bring Shearer back home to his native North-East in 1996. And Shepherd told me today: "If you had told me in 1996 that Alan Shearer would still be with us 10 years later we would not have stopped smiling. "But we are smiling more than ever today now that Alan is going to stay on for another 12 months. "Everybody knows I am his No 1 fan and in my view Alan Shearer is the greatest player this football club has ever had. "It has been a pleasure to be associated with him for the last 10 years and we have all marvelled at the way he has conducted himself both on and off the field. "He has a lot of respect for Graeme Souness, and when he came here as manager we realised that we had a chance of persuading Alan to stay for another 12 months. "Obviously, like everyone else, we kept hearing that once he makes up his mind Alan Shearer never changes it. "But don't under-estimate the fact that he is a Geordie and his love for this club and its fans knows no bounds." Shepherd was prepared to wax lyrical about Tyneside's favourite son but he became a trifle coy when I asked him if he was lining Shearer up as United's next manager. Indeed, all he would say was: "We already have an excellent manager in Graeme Souness." Souness signed a three-year contract at St James' Park last September and my own personal view is that the Scot will then walk away not only from Newcastle United but also from football. | 
