ALAN Shearer must go out at the very top, according to his biggest fan, Sir Bobby Robson, writes Matt Westcott..

The Newcastle United talisman had said he was going to retire at the end of last season, but staged a dramatic u-turn after being convinced to play on for one more year by Magpies boss Graeme Souness.

It was a decision that initially surprised Robson, who had a father-son relationship with the former England striker during his reign at St. James' Park.

Robson said he believed that Shearer had mapped out a career in the media for himself, as a pundit alongside Gary Lineker, Mark Lawrensen and Alan Hansen on the BBC programme Match of the Day.

However, any such move was put on hold when the 34-year-old Shearer declared he was not yet ready to hang up his boots.

"He is good at making decisions, like myself.

"He probably thought 'I am in good condition, I haven't got a bad knee or a bad ankle or arthritis in the hip, clinically I am fine, I can give it another year and the club need me anyway'," Robson said.

"He has decided to stay and so I just hope it works out right for him because I love the guy so much."

Robson said he is sure that Shearer, today the only fit striker at St James' Park, will not want to play on if he senses he is becoming a shadow of his former self.

"He has had an illustrious career and I just want people to remember him as a good player, a terrific player.

"I just hope his play doesn't deteriorate and so that when he does go out people remember him as a fine player. That was my wish for Alan," Robson said.

"I remember saying to him one day, 'Alan, we have both had illustrious careers, what is important is that you and I finish in the right way."

Robson, who had to put up with rumours of fall-outs with his star man towards the end of his tenure as he opted to rest Shearer for key matches, said the two rarely crossed paths these days but denied their friendship had soured.

"He gets on with his life and I get on with mine. I have only seen him twice in the whole of the last year; I saw him every day of my life for five years, now all of a sudden I have seen him twice in a year.

"That's what happens when you lose your job."

Asked if he missed that closeness, Robson paused, looked down at the ground and said: "Very much, course I do, very much."

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