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ALAN NOT MISSING FOOTBALL

26th October 2006

Former Newcastle and England captain Alan Shearer admits he is not yet missing football after calling time on his goal-laden career at the end of last season.

The Premiership's all-time record goalscorer is currently a man of leisure having bowed out of the game following an emotional testimonial at St James' Park against Celtic on May 11.

Shearer is now distributing the proceeds of his £1.64 million testimonial fund to worthy causes, and, speaking at a ceremony to mark the handing over of the huge cheque, the man with 30 international goals insisted he is not missing the day-to-day rigours of Premiership football.

"At the moment, I'm not missing it at all. I haven't really had time to miss it, to be honest," said Shearer.

"But my body is not taking a pounding. It's fantastic waking up on a Sunday morning and not hobbling to the toilet in the middle of the night with bumps and bruises.

"I haven't missed it. I have been to a lot of the games and there hasn't been a tingle yet for me to go back out."

Shearer has long been expected to take up a coaching position with his beloved Magpies in the coming years, having had a stint assisting Glenn Roeder last season, but the former Tyneside goal machine insists he has no concrete plans beyond completing his coaching badges.

"I couldn't tell you, I couldn't tell you what my life is going to be in two years, three years, four years, 10 years. I don't know," Shearer added.

"That's the honest answer, I really don't know. I'm trying to do as much as I can.

"I'm still doing my badges, but I'm loving what I'm doing at the moment."

With Shearer's absence still leaving a void in The Magpies' front-line, Roeder's men have struggled so far this season and find themselves just two points above the Premiership relegation zone.

However an impressive 3-0 win over Portsmouth in the Carling Cup helped to alleviate some of the gloom hanging over Tyneside, and Shearer is hopeful, in his new role as a spectator, that the victory can spur an improvement in the club's fortunes.

"I'm out there kicking every ball. I'm like the rest of them now, I'm wanting them to win and wanting them to play well.

"I'm still wanting them to score every time they go forward and wanting them to get the right result.

"It hasn't been a great start to the season, but Wednesday night was a big pick-up for everyone."