Eusebio Hails Shearer as One of the Greatest

tino11 · Mar 9, 2006

High praise indeed!!!

Eusebio: Al simply the best

Portuguese legend Eusebio has hailed Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer as one of the greatest strikers there has ever been.

The man who helped to light up the 1966 World Cup finals in England is even hoping to make a trip to St James' Park before the end of the season to pay his own respects to the 35-year-old before his retirement this summer.

Former Benfica hitman Eusebio, who holds the record for the number of goals scored for the Portuguese club, knows all about being a local hero and is happy to rank Shearer among the biggest names in the game.

"I think Alan Shearer is the best English striker of his generation and yes, one of the best there has ever been," he said. "I know he has just broken the Newcastle United club record, and that is a fine achievement.

"I hold the Benfica record of 727 goals in 715 games, and I know how it feels to be a club record holder.

"One day, I would like to watch a match in Newcastle with Alan Shearer playing - but the cold is unkind to my knee, so not at the moment."

Shearer's strike in the 2-0 Premiership victory over Portsmouth on February 4 took him past Jackie Milburn's record of 200 for the club, and he made it 2-2 in Saturday's 3-1 win against Bolton.

The organisers of his testimonial game, in which Newcastle will take on Celtic at St James' on May 11, might hope Eusebio will make it to Tyneside that night as they prepare a major celebration.

It is understood that all the managers Shearer played under for both the Magpies and England - with the notable exception of Dutchman Ruud Gullit - will be among the guests of honour on the night.

However, there is plenty of football still to come before that with the resurgent Tyneside club facing three intensely difficult fixtures inside 10 days.

They travel to Manchester United - where Shearer scored his 100th Premiership goal for the club in November 2003 - on Sunday and entertain European champions Liverpool a week later before their FA Cup quarter-final trip to Chelsea.

Caretaker boss Glenn Roeder, should he remain in charge by that point, will hope to have the likes of Kieron Dyer, Titus Bramble and Stephen Carr available for the cup game as they step up training after injury.

Roeder's success to date has taken the pressure off chairman Freddy Shepherd to make a swift appointment following Graeme Souness' departure.
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727 goals in 715 games, bloody hell I never realised, who was he playing? the Portuguese Women's Institute (Disabled Branch)

Super White Boy · Mar 9, 2006

tino11 said:

High praise indeed!!!

727 goals in 715 games, bloody hell I never realised, who was he playing? the Portuguese Women's Institute (Disabled Branch)
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I thought that might be wrong so I had to check, but its correct. Sorry for doubting you! Pele scored 1,280 in 1,360 games.

Either way they're both incredibible friggin' records