After almost twenty years at the very top of professional football, Alan Shearer retired from the sport in May 2006. He remained in the public eye by featuring regularly on English television screens. He also worked for several charitable causes as well as making the most of the time off he now had to be with his wife and children.

As a player, Alan had already made appearances as a pundit mainly during England matches but also for league games in which he didn't feature due to injury or suspension.

As he entered the final years of his playing career, he featured more and more prominently culminating in him becoming a regular pundit on BBC's Match of the Day either on Saturday or Sunday evenings during his final season as a player (2005-06).

After retirement, he continued his work with the British broadcasting network and featured more heavily along side Alan Hansen as Gary Lineker's main sidekick.

He was also part of the punditry team covering the 2006 World Cup for the BBC. During the event he attracted some criticism following England's elimination to the hands of Portugal. Some confusion arose after he commented on Wayne Rooney's sending off. He continued to feature during most England internationals during the years after that but also for all major tournaments (like EURO 2008 for example).

Following the 2005-06 season which he ended as Newcastle United's assistant manager, Shearer was named by then chairman Freddy Shepherd as an official Sporting Ambassador to the club. A position he has held since.

Alan also continued to work closely with his main sponsor, UMBRO. He was part of several promotional campaigns that saw him travel to Australia or Canada to meet up with fans.

Shearer has stated on many occasions that he, at some point, wishes to try himself  at the management side of football. An immediate move into coaching was never on the cards for him though as he turned down a chance to be part of the national team set up in 2006 to concentrate on his duties with the BBC, take time away from the pressure of football and "enjoy his retirement" for a few years.

After completing his UEFA Pro Licence course, he was strongly linked to a move back to Newcastle as part of Kevin Keegan's coaching staff when he arrived for his second managerial spell at the club in early 2008. Media speculation also surrounded him in the following months as soon as any domestic managerial spot became available: Blackburn Rovers, Southampton or Sheffield Wednesday to name a few.

The 2006 testimonial match raised £1.64million going to fourteen different charities. The NSPCC topped the list of recipients as it received £400,000. Alan had been strongly linked with the children's charity since 1999. He became an NSPCC ambassador in October 2006.

2006 was a busy year for Shearer as it also saw the construction of the Alan Shearer Centre, a care facility in Newcastle as well as the creation of the Alan Shearer Academy Scholarship to help in the development of young local talents.

In March of 2008, he helped raise more than £300,000 for Sport Relief with fellow Match of the Day presenter Adrian Chiles. The pair went on a two day 355 mile bike ride from Newcastle to London. A few months later Shearer participated in a star-studded charity match organised at Wembley Stadium to raise money for UNICEF.

In July 2009 Shearer played in the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match, a charity event held at a packed St James' Park. The game saw an England XI take on a Germany XI. This  was to be Sir Bobby Robson's final appearance in public as he died only a few days later. A few month later, Shearer was appointed as a new patron of Sir Bobby's cancer foundation.

Alan had always expressed a will to one day become a manager. At the same time he was never in any hurry, using the first few years of retirement to spend more time with his family and enjoy life.

However on April 1st 2009, Shearer was appointed Newcastle United manager for the remaining 8 games of the season. It had been a catastrophic season for the Magpies and they were looking to their former number 9 to get out of the relegation zone.

Shearer assured this was a one off job and that he would not have done the same for any other club. Iain Dowie came in the work along side Shearer. The task turned out to be insurmountable and Newcastle were relegated on the final day of the season by one single point.

Following his short spell he seemed likely to take over full time the following Summer, but unrest and indecision in the board room led to him not being offered the position.

As for the rest, time will tell...