Shearer Fan Tells Of Impact!

"Everybody respects Alan - he's got that automatically. Maybe he doesn't have the experience as a manager, but he has got that presence about him.

"I wish him all the best - and I hope we stay up and he's got a long career here.

"I was a massive fan of Alan's. He knows what striking is all about, he knows the position.

"Since Alan came back, the first thing he did was ask me whether I was in or out, and I want to keep this club up, that's the most important thing - as do the rest of the players.

"It meant so much to us last night to get this win. It's a derby game, it's always a difficult game - the last two years I have played here, I don't think we have beaten them - and on such an important occasion, we did the business."