Sir Bobby & Kevin Keegan United In Shearer Praise

Afterwards Sir Bobby Robson said: "It's very good, it's outstanding marksmanship, 100 goals in four years when you consider when I came he was out of the team.

"He's had four very good years. He's been a great talisman for us, and he's led the line again with strength, courage, a good personality. "The two strikers did very well. Alan leapt like a salmon all afternoon, held it up, tough to play against, won a lot of balls in the air. His general play was of a high quality."

City boss Kevin Keegan also said, "There isn't anybody better at what he does, I don't think, in the world. That's why, along time ago now it seems, I fetched him here.

"People thought £15million was a lot of money, but I thought at the time it was a great signing and I think every year that goes by, he just proves more and more that he was good value for his money.

"I don't know how they'll replace him - and they will have to do that one day. He's so clever, isn't he? "He doesn't try to do the things he can't do.

"I think he's a leader, and there aren't that many leaders in football now.

"There a lot of players who want to be good players and want to score goals and play in his position. But he's still got that throwback to the past whereby you feel that he's going to make players do things that they maybe don't really want to do.

"I think he's the complete player, and not playing for England was a good choice for him because it means he can actually maximise what he's doing for his club."