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<\/p>\nAlan Shearer's potential move to Manchester United was so close he even chose a house – before rejecting them to join Newcastle.<\/p>\n
The Premier League's record goalscorer was coming off the 1995\/96 season where he claimed the Golden Boot for a second season in a row for Blackburn, before scoring five goals for England in Euro 1996. Interest in the Englishman was at an all-time high as champions Manchester United appeared to be favourites for Shearer's signature.<\/p>\n
Despite winning the league, Sir Alex Ferguson was in the market for a clinical striker and Shearer fitted the bill as he admitted he came close to joining the Scot in Manchester. "Manchester United was the probable move," he said in an interview with FourFourTwo. "My wife and I had even picked out a house."<\/p>\n
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However, a meeting with Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan before chatting to Ferguson on the same day swayed Shearer to finally turn out for his boyhood club. He added: "Fergie came in and the first thing he said was, 'Am I first or has Keegan got to you?' I told him I had already spoken with Keegan and he said, 'That's me f***ed then.'<\/p>\n
"He was wrong. I still felt I was going to Old Trafford. Then I got another call from Kevin asking to see me one more time. I thought 'why not?' because it was lingering there, this idea that it would be a dream to play for my club, for Newcastle. I went to meet Keegan again, I looked at my missus and said, 'It's time to go back home.'"<\/p>\n
Did Alan Shearer make the wrong decision not to join Manchester United? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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Sky Sports is bringing you 500 live football games to watch, as well access to Cricket, Golf, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA and more across eight<\/span> dedicated channels. Sky Sports is the <\/span>only way to watch all the action this year.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a322 a month<\/p>\n Shearer joined Newcastle for a then-world record fee of \u00a315million and spent 10 years at the club, where he scored 206 goals in 405 games. Despite failing to win a single piece of silverware, the 53-year-old insisted that he made the right decision joining the team he supported as a child, rather than the all-conquering United side who went on to lift the Treble.<\/p>\n The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!<\/p>\n Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course. <\/p>\n To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link<\/b>, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!<\/p>\n No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. <\/p>\n If you don\u2019t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you\u2019re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO JOIN<\/b><\/p>\n "I wanted to have some great years at Newcastle whilst I could still play, not to go back in my 30s and for them not to see the best of me," he continued. "It was always my dream to play for Newcastle, to have that shirt and wear that with pride and score goals at St James\u2019 Park, and it was the best decision I ever made."<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk\/incoming\/article31509926.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_England-v-Georgia-1998-FIFA-World-Cup-Qualifier.jpg\")
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