Alan Shearer season. Speculation of a transfer to Liverpool, who finished the season as FA Cup winners, also came to nothing. During the middle of 1992, Southampton's manager, Ian Branfoot, became "the most popular manager in English football", as he took telephone calls from clubs "trying to bargain with players they don't want plus cash". Although Branfoot accepted that a sale was inevitable, he claimed that "whatever happens, we are in the driving seat". In July 1992, Shearer was sold to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £3.6 million, with David Speedie reluctantly moving to The Dell as part of the deal.
1997–98 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season him come joint top of the Premiership goalscoring charts with 18 goals, a Premier League Player of the Month award for February and led to him earning a long-awaited international call-up, though he didn't make the final squad for the World Cup after refusing to play for the England B team. "Blackburn Rovers' score comes first" 1997–98 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season During the 1997–98 English football season, Blackburn Rovers competed in the FA Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons). After last season's slip-up, Blackburn Rovers emerged as title contenders under new manager Roy Hodgson, and