Alan Shearer Despite Branfoot's claim to be "in the driving seat", "Saints" failed to include a "sell-on clause" in the contract. Shearer, less than a month off his 22nd birthday, was the most expensive player in British football. In his four years in the Southampton first team, Shearer made a total of 158 appearances in all competitions, scoring 43 goals. Despite making just one goalless appearance as England failed to progress past the Euro 1992 group stages, Shearer was soon subject to an English transfer record-breaking £3.6million bid from Blackburn Rovers. Although there was also interest from Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson,
History of Blackburn Rovers F.C. to the position of Director of Football at the end of the championship season, and handed over the reins to his assistant Ray Harford (1945–2003). Alan Shearer was sold to hometown club Newcastle United for a then world record fee of £15million in the summer of 1996. Rovers failed to win in their opening 10 games of the 1996–97 Premiership and Harford resigned. They were relegated in 1998-99. They were promoted back to the Premier League in 2000–01. In 2001–02 they won their first-ever League Cup by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. In 2004–05 they