Editing Alan Shearer (section)

===1992–1996: Blackburn Rovers===
Despite making just one goalless appearance as England failed to progress past the [[UEFA Euro 1992|Euro 1992]] group stages,<ref name=S>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/England_AtoZ_S.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20081210194724/http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/England_AtoZ_S.htm|archive-date=10 December 2008|title=S is for Shearer|access-date=13 August 2008|publisher=The Football Association|date=18 July 2007}}</ref> Shearer was soon subject to an English transfer record-breaking £3.6&nbsp;million bid from [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Winter |first=Henry |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-shearer-set-to-sign-for-blackburn-1535887.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205080840/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-shearer-set-to-sign-for-blackburn-1535887.html |archive-date=2011-02-05 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Shearer set to sign for Blackburn |date=27 July 1992 |access-date=17 September 2014 |work=The Independent}}</ref> Although there was also interest from Manchester United manager [[Alex Ferguson]], Blackburn benefactor [[Jack Walker]]'s millions were enough to prise the striker from Southampton, and Shearer moved north to [[Ewood Park]] in the middle of 1992.<ref name=MIC2>{{cite book|title=My Illustrated Career|last=Shearer|first=Alan|year=2007|publisher=Cassell Illustrated|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/alanshearermyill0000shea/page/56 56–70]|isbn=978-1-84403-586-1|url=https://archive.org/details/alanshearermyill0000shea/page/56}}</ref>

On 15 August 1992, the opening weekend of the [[1992–93 FA Premier League|first Premier League season]], Shearer scored twice against Crystal Palace with two strikes from the edge of the [[Penalty area|18-yard box]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Joy of Six: Premier League opening-day debuts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/aug/10/the-joy-of-six-premier-league-opening-day-debuts |access-date=19 September 2021 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=9 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009065454/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/aug/10/the-joy-of-six-premier-league-opening-day-debuts |url-status=live }}</ref> He missed half of his first season with Blackburn through injury after snapping his right [[anterior cruciate ligament]] in a match against [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]] in December 1992, but scored 16 goals in the 21 games in which he did feature.<ref name=NUFC/> Shearer also became a regular in the England team this season and scored his second international goal; it came in a 4–0 [[1994 FIFA World Cup]] qualifier win over [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]] in November. Shearer was forced to miss January through to May due to injury and England's World Cup qualification chances were hit by a run of poor form.<ref name=MIC/>

Returning to fitness for the [[1993–94 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season|1993–94 season]], he scored 31 goals from 40 games as Blackburn finished runners-up in the [[1993–94 FA Premier League|Premier League]].<ref name=NUFC/> His performances for the club led to him being named the [[FWA Footballer of the Year|Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year]] for that season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballwriters.co.uk/awards/footballer-of-the-year/|title=FWA FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR AWARD|access-date=25 July 2008|publisher=Football Writers' Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919074938/http://www.footballwriters.co.uk/awards/footballer-of-the-year/|archive-date=19 September 2008}}</ref> On the international scene, England had failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup finals,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/history/newsid_1632000/1632224.stm|title=USA 1994|access-date=13 August 2008|work=BBC Sport|date=17 April 2002|archive-date=3 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103205635/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/history/newsid_1632000/1632224.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> but Shearer added three more goals to his international tally before embarking on his most successful domestic season as a player to date.<ref name=MIC2/>
{{quote box
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| quote = "Shearer is the classic working class sporting hero&nbsp;... everything legend demands an English centre-forward should be&nbsp;... As a striker he comes closer to fitting the ''[[Roy of the Rovers]]'' fantasy than anyone else lately admired by English crowds".| source = Shearer as described in ''[[The Guardian]]'' on 10 April 1995.<ref>{{citation |editor1-last=Jones |editor1-first=Dudley |editor2-last=Watkins |editor2-first=Tony |last1=Tomlinson |first1=Alan |last2=Young |first2=Christopher |contribution=Golden Boys and Golden Memories: Fiction, Ideology, and Reality in Roy of the Rovers and the Death of the Hero |title=A Necessary Fantasy?: the Heroic Figure in Children's Popular Culture: Vol 18 |pages=194–195 |year=2000 |publisher=Garland Publishing}}</ref>}}
The arrival of [[Chris Sutton]] for the [[1994–95 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season|1994–95]] season established a strong attacking partnership at Blackburn. Shearer's 34&nbsp;goals, coupled with Sutton's 15, helped the Lancashire club take the [[1994–95 FA Premier League|Premier League]] title from archrivals Manchester United on the final day of the season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/1994/95Season/0,,12306~1076334,00.html |title=1994/95 |access-date=2 August 2008 |publisher=Premier League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514133341/http://www.premierleague.com/page/1994/95Season/0%2C%2C12306~1076334%2C00.html |archive-date=14 May 2008 }}</ref> and the duo gained the nickname "the SAS" (Shearer And Sutton).<ref name=MIC2/> After being asked by the press how he planned to celebrate winning the title, Shearer replied with "creosoting the fence".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/a-modest-end-befits-shearer-the-extra-ordinary-man-who-painted-a-masterpiece-from-creosote-ghk36dvlfdz|title=A modest end befits Shearer, the extra-ordinary man who painted a masterpiece from creosote|access-date=10 March 2009|date=21 April 2006|work=The Times | location=London | first=Simon | last=Barnes}}</ref> Shearer also had his first taste of European football in the [[1994–95 UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup]] that season, and scored in the second leg as Blackburn went out in the first round, losing to [[Trelleborgs FF]] of Sweden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=1994/round=651/index.html|title=UEFA Cup First round|access-date=2 August 2008|publisher=UEFA|archive-date=17 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917152112/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=1994/round=651/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> His efforts for the club led to Shearer being awarded the [[PFA Players' Player of the Year]] for 1995.<ref name=PFA>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/04/27/sfnpas127.xml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080502111725/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fsport%2F2008%2F04%2F27%2Fsfnpas127.xml|archive-date=2 May 2008|title=PFA Player of the Year winners 1974–2007|access-date=21 July 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|first=Emily|last=Benammar|date=27 April 2008}}</ref>

Although the club could not retain the title the [[1995–96 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season|following year]], Shearer again ended the (now 38-game) season as [[1995–96 FA Premier League|Premier League]] top scorer, with 31&nbsp;goals in 35&nbsp;games,<ref name=rec2>{{cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/History/0,,12306,00.html |title=A History of the Premier League |access-date=28 July 2008 |publisher=Premier League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118121453/http://www.premierleague.com/page/History/0%2C%2C12306%2C00.html |archive-date=18 November 2011 }}</ref><ref name=rec>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20070921/ai_n20524754|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206163046/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20070921/ai_n20524754|archive-date=6 December 2008|title=today's top 20: most Premier League goals in a season (1992–2007)|access-date=26 July 2008|work=The Independent |date=21 September 2007}}</ref><ref name=PL96>{{cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/1995/96Season |title=Season 1995/96 |access-date=22 July 2008 |publisher=Premier League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030075007/http://www.premierleague.com/page/1995/96Season |archive-date=30 October 2011 }}</ref> as Blackburn finished seventh in the league. The previous season's first-place finish also saw the club enter the [[1995–96 UEFA Champions League|Champions League]]. Shearer's only goal in six full Champions League games was a penalty in a 4–1 victory against [[Rosenborg BK]] in the final fixture<ref name=MIC2/> and Blackburn finished fourth in [[1995–96_UEFA_Champions_League#Group_B|their group]], failing to progress to the next stage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=1995/round=70/group=12.html|title=UEFA Champions League Group B|access-date=7 August 2008|publisher=UEFA|archive-date=15 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915082355/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/history/season=1995/round=70/group=12.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He passed the 100-goal milestone for Blackburn in all competitions on 23 September 1995, scoring a hat-trick in their 5–1 home win over [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]] in the Premier League. On 30 December, he scored his [[List of footballers with 100 or more Premier League goals|100th Premier League goal]], making him the first player to hit the landmark, in a 2–1 home win over [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]. His final tally for the club was 112 goals in the Premier League and 130 in all competitions. His final goals for the club came on 17 April 1996, when he scored twice in a 3–2 home league win over [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shearer9.com/statsrovers9596.shtml |title=Blackburn Statistics &#124; Alan Shearer hits the net |publisher=Shearer9.com |date=30 December 1995 |access-date=27 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016100501/http://www.shearer9.com/statsrovers9596.shtml |archive-date=16 October 2015 }}</ref>

Shearer's international strike rate had also dried up, with no goals in the twelve matches leading up to [[UEFA Euro 1996|Euro 96]].<ref name=MIC2/> He missed the final three games of the season for his club due to injury, but recovered in time to play in England's [[UEFA European Championship]] campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/shearer-injury-gives-fowler-euro-96-hope-1305387.html |title=Shearer injury gives Fowler Euro 96 hope |author=Glenn Moore |work=The Guardian |date=16 April 1996 |access-date=2 November 2022 |archive-date=2 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102130349/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/shearer-injury-gives-fowler-euro-96-hope-1305387.html |url-status=live }}</ref>