Shearer rules out Magpies top job

[Mac 10 †]

Shearer rules out Magpies top job 
 
Newcastle striker Alan Shearer has ruled himself out of the running to replace Graeme Souness as manager.
 
Souness was sacked on Thursday after a poor run of results left the Magpies towards the bottom of the Premiership.

Shearer, 35, will assist caretaker boss Glenn Roeder in the short term, but does not plan to apply for the top job.

"Let me say here and now that I do not want to be the next manager, the time is not right for me or the club," he told The Sun newspaper.

"Things are set up for someone to do well. I hope that someone is the next manager. I just know it will not be me.

"That is not meant as a slight on the club. I am just thinking of what is best for Newcastle United and, right now, it would not be the best thing to have Alan Shearer as manager.

"I have stood up and said that to the players and Glenn has ruled himself of being the permanent boss too."

Shearer admitted he was sorry to see Souness go and felt he had been badly affected by injuries to key players.

"I can only have sympathy for Graeme. He worked his socks off trying to get things right here," he said.

"But he was hampered by a horrendous injury situation that no team could have coped with."