Alan Shearer claims that Newcastle United made an unexpected move to sign one of the world’s best attackers from Manchester United.
Although Shearer was Newcastle’s leading striker at the time, the club was anxious to add another star player, one of the game’s most promising young prospects, to their lineup.
Shearer said on The Rest Is Football podcast that Newcastle had “definitely” made an offer for Wayne Rooney when he first arrived at Old Trafford.
Rooney had just recently began his career when he joined Manchester United at the age of 18, but he was already considered as one of the finest players in the Premier League, whilst Shearer was nearing the end of his.
On the broadcast, Lineker asked: “Is that true, do you know if Newcastle made a bid?
Shearer responded: “Yes, they did. I’m not sure how serious it was; the original chairman at the time, Freddie Shepherd, and his son were active with the agency, so I’m not sure if it was to expedite a new contract.
“But Newcastle did make an offer for him while he was at Manchester United. Definitely a bid went in his favor. It would have been fantastic, but I doubt it was ever going to happen.”
Considering how many trophies he won under Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney will be grateful for his decision, but if he had joined Tyneside, things could have turned out very differently for him.
Newcastle will always wonder what could have been, since Rooney was a one-of-a-kind player with generational skill who swept the league and will be remembered as one of England’s greatest players.
Rooney went on to become Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the former England international helped construct one of the most successful sides in English football history.
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