Alan Shearer will limit his appearances on Match of the Day to once a month so he can spend more time watching Newcastle United.
The former striker has provided analysis on the flagship football programme for the BBC for 20 years. He joined the broadcaster after retiring in 2006 as the all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League.
Shearer featured on the show last weekend to review the opening fixtures of the new season alongside Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United and England forward. Viewers were left wondering when he would return to the weekly highlights programme.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport, Shearer clarified that he would now appear monthly. He will also continue to lead commentary for the BBC on live FA Cup matches.
"I said to them a while back that I would like some of my weekends back on a Saturday," Shearer said. "It’ll be about one a month. I’ll be going to more Newcastle games. I love doing the co-comms. When the FA Cup starts in January, there’s loads of co-comms."
Expanded BBC punditry team
The BBC has expanded its punditry team for the new season. Toby Alderweireld, Robbie Keane, Ashley Young and Thomas Frank have all joined the football coverage.
Players downing tools
Shearer also criticised the emerging trend of players in the Premier League going on strike to force transfers away from their clubs.
Last summer, Alexander Isak refused to train and play to force a move to Liverpool, while Yohane Wissa used the same tactic to secure a transfer to Newcastle. Tolu Arokodare stopped a training session at Wolverhampton Wanderers to get his move to Ajax.
There have also been suggestions that Ollie Watkins employed a similar tactic to push through an imminent transfer from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
"It’s not a good look when you have supporters paying their hard-earned money to watch you and adore you and you get a great salary," Shearer said.
"I’m not saying Ollie has done that because we don’t have the full story but it’s not right that you refuse to play for your club when they’re paying your wages. It’s a part of football that I don’t like."
Shearer noted that players always have the right to leave a club, but insisted there is a correct way to handle a departure.
"I left Blackburn a year after we won the Premier League because I wanted to try a different challenge and ended up back at Newcastle," he said. "I understand it, I get it, nobody can tell you that you can’t do that, you’re well within your right. But there’s a way to do it."
Isak struggles at Anfield
Isak left Newcastle for Liverpool last summer for a British record transfer fee of 125 million pounds. The Swedish international has struggled to settle at Anfield and missed 24 games last season with a broken leg.
Shearer suggested that Liverpool do not play to the forward's strengths.
"I look at when he was brilliant at Newcastle, and how you got the best out of him was early balls in behind or in from behind," Shearer said. "I don’t see Liverpool doing that. I guess they will have to change a little bit."
He added that Isak's partnership with Florian Wirtz has not been successful, noting that Liverpool paid a fortune for both players.
"I look at Alex and when he was brilliant at Newcastle, it was them playing early ball from midfielders in behind and wingers out wide early. I don’t see that at Liverpool as yet. It’s a bit of both," Shearer said. "He had a serious injury last season but those two are going to have to do miles better if Liverpool are going to get into the top four."
Newcastle summer rebuild
It has been a difficult summer for Newcastle, the club where Shearer scored 206 goals in ten seasons. Manager Eddie Howe resigned amid significant player sales, with Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali all leaving the club.
Despite having the richest owners in world football, Newcastle have been forced to become a selling club to comply with financial regulations set by the Premier League and UEFA.
Matthias Jaissle has been appointed as the new manager at St James' Park. Shearer accepts it will be a difficult season and does not expect the team to qualify for European football, but he remains excited by the arrival of the charismatic coach.
"Plenty of optimism at Newcastle after a long summer," Shearer said. "It needed a reset. We mustn’t forget all those players Newcastle sold, wanted to go, didn’t want to be there and didn’t have great seasons last season because Newcastle finished 12th."
The 56-year-old bemoaned the financial rules but conceded that refreshing the squad was necessary. He praised Aston Villa for their approach to selling top players and claimed that Chelsea and Manchester City would not have reached their current positions if the same rules had been in place during their ascents.
"You get to a point and you can challenge, finish in and around the top five for two or three years but then you see what you have to do to comply with those rules," Shearer said. "Newcastle have had to do the same because of the laws. I don’t like those but it is what it is, you have to somehow get by and Newcastle have done that."
Shearer described the upcoming campaign as a transitional year, calling for patience from the supporters as the new manager implements his ideas.
"I don’t expect us to get into European football this year," he said. "If we do, great, it’ll be a great bonus but I don’t expect that. We need another midfielder before the end of the window without a doubt, maybe another player in a forward position."
He added that the club must accept the challenges of losing their manager and best players, noting that younger replacements will need time and experience to improve.
"If it was easy, everyone would do it and bring in younger players. They’re going to need time to get used to it and improve, they will get better with experience," Shearer said. "The Newcastle fanbase will understand that and accept what kind of season it is going to be."
Nico Gonzalez signs
Newcastle quickly addressed Shearer's call for a new midfielder by signing Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City for 52 million pounds.
The 24-year-old spent a season and a half at the Etihad Stadium after joining from Porto, making 36 Premier League appearances. The signing aligns with Newcastle's strategy of acquiring young players with high potential.
Shearer believes the midfielder's time working under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City will bring a winning mentality to his new club.
"It’s really good business with his experience," Shearer said. "Being at Manchester City for that amount of time, playing under Pep in that winning culture will do Newcastle the world of good."
Shearer, an ambassador for Betfair, was speaking on Wembley Way at the launch of the bookmaker's Walk of Shame, an event highlighting spectacularly inaccurate football predictions.
