Gary Neville jokes he cost Manchester United signing Newcastle hero Alan Shearer

27.01.2022 - 14:13 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Manchester United famously missed out on signing Newcastle great Alan Shearer in 1996 - and Gary Neville might have had something to do with it.

At the height of their powers, United had just won the Premier League and FA Cup double before setting sights on the prolific then-Blackburn striker.

Shearer was a shining light at Euro 1996 alongside Neville as Terry Venables and his England side went ever so close to immortality in their own backyard.

Sound familiar?

United made no secret of their pursuit for Shearer but, having finished as runners-up that previous campaign, it was Newcastle who ultimately won the race to sign their hometown hero for £15million.

So where does Neville come in?

Speaking to fellow pundit Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports, he said: "Certainly the one that shocked me most was Shearer to Blackburn and Newcastle. Shearer to Newcastle. I thought we had him that summer. I thought no way after Euro '96 that he was going to go to Newcastle.

"I just thought we had him. I'd spoken to him. I think I lost the deal... I had gone to a Bryan Adams concert with him and I'd spoken to him at Euro '96."

Carragher replied: "That's the effect you have. That's probably what's put him off!"

Who should United sign next summer? Have your say in the comments section below.

Neville added: "I thought there was no way he's going to turn that down. We were flying. We'd just won the double. That was the one... how has he gone to Newcastle? Newcastle at the time were unbelievable. Kevin Keegan was the manager and we had pipped them for the title the year before.

"So it wasn't a shock that he was going to a club that were down here. He was going to a great club. I just thought we had him. I thought he's a proper player