The inside story of Aston Villa’s failed ‘campaign’ to sign Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer

Former Aston Villa manager John Gregory has outlined his failed ‘campaign’ to convince Alan Shearer to leave Newcastle United.

The legendary number nine signed for his boyhood club in a world-record deal in 1996, and would go on to surpass Jackie Milburn and become the Magpies’ all-time leading goalscorer.

However, just two years into his dream move to St James’ Park, Shearer fell out of favour under new manager Ruud Gullit.

Gregory’s Villa sat top of the table in September 1998, despite losing Dwight Yorke to Manchester United that summer.

Writing in his book The Boss, the former manager confirmed the club had made ‘gentle but not ultimately successful enquiries’ to the Magpies about Shearer.

However, the appointment of Gullit gave Gregory renewed hope that he could pull off a deal.

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He wrote: “The Kenny Dalglish reign had just come to a sour conclusion and it appeared that things up on Tyneside were not exactly a bed of roses.

“I dared to wonder if Newcastle might let Alan go.

“New managers sometimes have their own ideas about how they want to play, a fresh approach that frequently bring about changes in staff and direction.

“As everyone in the game knew and took great delight in pointing out, Gullit was on record as saying he felt Alan had not been worth the fee Newcastle had paid for him.

“The subtext was clear: Gullit did not rate England’s number 9. If not I knew someone who did.”

The sides were due to meet at Villa Park on September 9, and Gregory was informed that Shearer ‘had got wind’ of the club’s interest.

Believing a deal could be done, the Villa boss was determined for his side to put on a performance that could convince the number nine of the merits of a second-city switch.

Gregory wrote: “That night became an occasion all about selling the club and the idea of joining us to Shearer, with Merse [Paul Merson] sat up in the stands watching.

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“I was desperate the boys show the Great Man they were not a bad side. If he had dismissed us as a club he did not want to come to, I wanted him to at least have second thoughts.

“I wanted us to play well and show him what we were all about. A real team.”

Villa went on to enjoy a 1-0 victory with a Lee Hendrie penalty settling the contest. However, Gregory’s ambitious plan would ultimately fall upon deaf ears over the coming weeks.

The former manager added: “Sadly nothing would come of my Get Shearer campaign.

“I phoned Gullit the next day and dropped the Shearer idea into the conversation. He didn’t say ‘yes – but he didn’t say ‘no’.

“But I imagine the coming weeks told him that to sell Alan Shearer would be the equivalent of signing his own death notice.

“And we were never able to get any more daylight out of St James’ Park from our enquiries. But that would be Shearer’s loss, that was my attitude.”

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Moving on from United’s number nine, Gregory decided to splash the cash with a £5.75m deal for Dion Dublin from neighbours Coventry City. Dublin went on to score 59 times in 189 appearances in claret and blue.

Villa sat top at Christmas, but their unlikely title tilt fell away and Gregory’s side finished the campaign in sixth, with United ending up in 13th spot.

Despite his well-documented issues with Gullit, Shearer would still go on to score 21 goals for United in the 1998-99 season.