Newcastle striker Alan Shearer has confirmed he will delay his retirement to stay on next season and become player-coach at the club.
Shearer, 34, had always insisted he would quit in May, but he has now agreed a contract extension to stay for another year.
He said: “I went through a hell of a lot of people and the response was unanimous, that I should play on.”
Shearer is just nine goals short of Jackie Milburn’s all-time club-record total of 200 goals for Newcastle..
But Shearer denied that Milburn’s record was a motivating factor.
“I stayed on because I think the club is moving in the right direction, not because I want to break the record,” said Shearer.
And chairman Freddy Shepherd confirmed that Shearer, who has been tipped to become a future Newcastle manager, would join the back-room staff next season.
Shepherd said: “It is the news every fan wanted to hear, and also the news the board and the manager Graeme Souness wanted to hear.
“His new contract will read ‘player-coach’ and we are looking forward to another year of Alan Shearer at Newcastle.”
Shearer added: “I believe I’m making the right decision. I probably haven’t scored as many goals as I have before, but I feel I have contributed a lot more than I did last season or even the season before.
“The people I spoke to felt I was playing too well to retire. I admit I was a bit hasty and I felt I couldn’t retire just because I said I would.
“I’m carrying on because my performances have been at a level I’ve been happy with, and more important what the manager and chairman have been happy with.”
