Matt Dickinson on how the England captain will continue to let his feet do all the talking
The Times 4 September 1997

Someone needed to cut through the dark forest of intrigue and rumour that has enmeshed the England camp in recent weeks, and who better to play the knight than Alan Shearer. Never a man to use six long words when two short ones will do, the England captain wielded his broadsword with invigorating swipes.

"In case anyone has forgotten, there is a game on Saturday, and an important one at that," the England captain said. "All the other stuff about books is irrelevant and of no interest to me. There's been a lot of rubbish written, but without the match none of us would be here." And that, he might have added, includes you, Glenn and Tony.

As eve-of-battle addresses go, it was hardly Henry V. But they were sentiments that needed voicing because, amid the rapid fire of bitching and counter-bitching between Glenn Hoddle and his critics, the players must have begun to wonder whether anyone cared about the game.

Fed up with discovering that certain members of the England camp now communicate via serialisation in The Sun, Shearer quickly turned the discussion to football. In particular, he wanted to discuss how his partnership with Michael Owen excites him as much as the rest of the country as England begin their European championship qualifying campaign in Sweden tomorrow.

There have been suggestions that Shearer has been feeling a little neglected amid all the attention lavished on his young sidekick, that he craves the return of the spotlight that now beams into every recess of Owen's life.

If that was ever the case, it had long receded by the time Shearer sat down this week and spoke like some doting father about his 18-year-old accomplice. Indeed, the Newcastle United striker was overcome by a misty-eyed glaze as he recalled a poignant exchange between the pair this summer as they contemplated the trauma of penalties against Argentina in the World Cup.

"Michael came up to me when we were about to take the penalties and asked 'what should I do'?" Shearer recalled. "I just told him 'do what you normally do and put it in the back of the net'.

"I never had any doubt he would score. It was a great, great penalty to prove that he can handle the pressure and everything that is thrown at him. Do not talk about his age because he is doing it here and now. It doesn't matter whether he is 18 or 35."

It does to opposing defences who face at least another decade of Owen. Argentina's back line was made to look like police Pandas chasing a speeding Ferrari, and Shearer understands the dilemma that will give the Swedes a restless night.

"Do they drop deep and try to cut his pace off and then leave space for us in midfield?" he said. "Or do they push up to try to catch him offside and leave space for him to run into? Defenders hate pace and movement and he has plenty of both. We both scored the last time we played together against Argentina so the signs are promising."

Ah, Argentina. "There were plenty of times I went over it lying in bed at night," Shearer admitted. "But you can't do that for long. I came back and my two little girls wanted a cuddle. They don't understand if I am low and I don't want them to understand.

"If any of the players need to get any of that out of their system, if they have any lingering thoughts or doubts, this is the time to do it. We must get off to a good start."

Tony Adams, of course, has already got plenty out of his system thanks to the publication of his autobiography which, among other things, reveals that he believes he should still be England captain. Shearer is no more impressed by by the book - "everybody has got stories to tell but I wouldn't criticise team-mates or the manager" - or the mutinous suggestions about the armband.

"Tony would say that, wouldn't he. Naturally you look after your own interests. I won't hold any grudges. But the fact of the matter is that Glenn Hoddle has chosen me."

Still the boss, Shearer is not ready to concede ground to anyone, not even young Owen. Asked who would take the penalties against Sweden tomorrow, Shearer replied: "I am." It was non-negotiable.