PHIL THOMPSON has played alongside, coached and managed the greatest players in Liverpool's history. Team-mate of legends like Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish, he helped nurture talent like Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen Steven Gerrard. But Thompson, whose autobiography is out next week, can also provide an insight into players who came close to pulling on the red jersey. Chief writer DAVID PRENTICE reports...
Alan Shearer WE needed an immediate impact at the start of that 2003/04 season and one player who came to our attention was the opposite of our two young hopefuls Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tall-ec," Thompson explains. "He was a tried and trusted superstar, one of the great players in the game and a man whose stature could give everyone a lift - on and off the pitch. His name was Alan Shearer. "Of course, Alan was still a god at Newcastle, but he had not signed his new contract. Gerard (Houllier) came to me and said: 'Do you fancy Alan Shearer?' I said 'Of course!' although I felt there was little or no chance of securing his services because of his ties to the North East. "Gerard felt he could be another Gary McAllister for us, a great pro who could spark things with his approach, attitude and quality. "It would also have revived the Alan Shearer/Michael Owen partnership that had ben so successful for England in the past. The boss said that he had this feeling that Alan would come to Anfield. "Contact was made, although Newcastle were obviously not keen to let him go. "We said we would like to be kept informed, aware that it would be a major coup to capture someone of Shearer's stature. We also knew that it would be a massive negotiation, but early indications were that he would come. "Nothing happened over a period of 10 days and then all of a sudden the Geordie hero got the contract at St James' Park that he had wanted. "That had been my only fear, that his advisers might have used Liverpool's interest to force Newcastle's hand, but Alan Shearer is as honest and down to earth as they come and Gerard was convinced that his interest in joining us was genuine. "The boss had been in talks with Bobby Robson about a possible deal and we know that Shearer didn't use us. In the end it was his sheer love of all things Geordie that kept him in the North East." Cristiano Ronaldo >>> | 
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