SALOMON RONDON thanked Alan Shearer for his ‘well done’ message after scoring his first two Premier League goals for Newcastle United before then asking never to be compared to the club’s legendary No 9.

Shearer heaped praise on the Venezuelan in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth when the striker’s two goals proved enough to seal three points.

The Match of the Day pundit Tweeted ‘what a performance’ and paid particular reference to the second which was a stunning header from Kenedy’s fine delivery, a goal which could easily have been scored by Shearer in his pomp.

Rondon was crucial to Newcastle’s second consecutive victory with a powerful centre-forward’s display which saw him effectively bully the visitors, as well as find the net twice.

The brace was the first he had scored in the league since moving on loan from West Brom but the manner of his performance highlighted what Newcastle have been missing while he has been sidelined through injury.

Rondon said: “I can never be compared to Shearer, and to play at his high level I have to keep working. He’s a legend here, I have three goals, and he has 206 so it’s important for me to stay focused and to keep working.

“I do like to make Shearer happy, because I know how big a fan of Newcastle he is.

“I’ve seen his message and it means a lot to me. When I was young, I saw Shearer on the TV, and we can exchange messages on Twitter. That’s amazing, that’s what can happen in football, you can see the big legends that you are following and that’s a pressure for me.”

Just 24 hours earlier Rafa Benitez had revealed his confidence that Rondon would eventually cope with the pressure of wearing the club’s iconic No 9 shirt – and he delivered in style.

Rondon said: “The number nine is too heavy! Especially at this club. Now I have to remain focused and keep scoring goals.

“My second goal was special, I could feel the fans enjoying it. I know they’re looking for goals from me and in the past they’ve looked up to people like Alan Shearer and Andy Cole as strikers. The most important thing is the victory and to keep working and keep fighting.”

Rondon’s only previous goal in a Newcastle shirt was at Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup. To have ended his wait for a Premier League goal, and at St James’ Park, will have been a weight off his shoulders.

Following the departures of Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic there is a lot resting on the South American this season.

He received a double cheer when his second goal was replayed on the big screen, with the fans appreciative of the quality of header he met Kenedy’s delivery with in the 39th minute.

“I hadn’t scored here and when you’ve not scored for a long time coming back from injury it’s important for your confidence to get off the mark,” said Rondon, whose opener was more instinctive after an initial effort was saved.

“This win is mostly for the team and for the fans and especially in general for the confidence of the team.

“I didn’t watch the replay on the screen but I felt the emotion from the fans. It’s important for a striker because you want to score goals. The confidence that Newcastle and the manager gives to me, it helps me to score goals.

Having struggled with injuries since arriving from West Brom, Rondon clearly needs a run in the team now to build up his fitness. Benitez expects more from him, even though he was a loan signing rather than an expensive recruit.

Rondon said: “Yes I’m fully fit now. I’ve come back from injuries and you’ve started to see now that I can be fit now the season is running. Along with the confidence the gaffer gives to me, these goals are a tribute to him and that’s important for me.

“It’s a good question how many goals I can get. I have to keep working hard and trying to score but to be honest I never say the numbers, or what target I’m going for. The most important thing is to help the team.”

Newcastle have climbed out of the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Rondon added: “We’re really happy with the win, and for my team-mates. This has to be the start. We know what our schedule has been like playing big teams and it’s been difficult.”