Impressive legacies are difficult to replicate. Ask anyone. It's been said before many times through the years. At the very worst, feeble attempts barely fill the cavernous echoes of past successes that reverberate around deep in the annals of sporting time. One man who set that sort of hard-to-repeat example is Newcastle legend Alan Shearer.
If his individual success was to be measured in noise, it would deafen most copycat strikers – especially those that come from the same proud, nearly culturally autonomous area of the country. The decibels would likely be high enough to explode across several St James' Parks.
Just how good was Alan Shearer?
What is often the case with brutally good goalscorers, is that the numbers speak for themselves sometimes overshadowing the raw quality. Magpies icon Shearer in a way, is like that – being the record Premier League goalscorer with 260 goals. In part though, just the briefest of examples reflect how the arm-raising nine could score some truly outlandish finishes.
Heading: Look up 'Alan Shearer header' on YouTube and the first thing that appears is quite amazing. It's a diving effort that is quite frankly the model example of what a diving header should be like. It's a classic Champions League night at St. James' and Leverkusen have travelled in for their Group A clash. Alan's wasting no time, and proceeds to lay down a sweet 36-minute hat-trick against the Germans.
His first goal is the header. Gary Speed curls in a delightful ball from the left. Al's marker, Diego Placente, has got lost in the fog of the Tyne and BAM. It's like a forefather of van Persie's header against Spain. It's that sort of leap but unlike Robin's looper, this is thunderous and sharp as it whizzes nastily into the bottom right. Poor Hans Jorg-Butt has absolutely no chance.
Powerful infamy: The next strike highlighted of Shearer-quality actually comes against Everton earlier in that very same season. You must've seen it. It's classic Alan. This volley from December 2002 is a black-and-white humbug for the travelling Toffees.
The ball is knocked forward and a backtracking Everton offer up a measly attempted clearance. Oh dear. The ball is falling so slowly, but should be fine. Er, that's Shearer running onto it. Brace for impact. Swerve, power, goal. Synonyms and onomatopoeias don't do the work. Just watch. The fans are up as is the hand reinforced with a cheeky grin.
If the defence started the festive period as they meant to go on, they had already booked their places on the naughty list as Newcastle were allowed to fight back to a 2-1 win. Shearer's stunning volley from 22 yards was as much a kick up his teammates' backsides as it was a pelter into the top right corner. It's attacking impetus at its very finest.
It's remarkable, therefore, to think Toon supporters once thought they had their next Shearer. Andy Carroll, anyone?
Where did Andy Carroll come from?
Picture it. It's now 2006. Those blitzing Shearer goals from just a few years ago have faded like the beloved immediacy of a Polaroid photograph. Like the mid-2000s ever-shifting degrees of technology, the famed striker's retirement snaps into a passing of the figurative baton.
Out of the academy, Carroll has made some impressive progress. This includes making his debut in the UEFA Cup at 17 years and 300 days in November '06 before forcing Premier League appearances from February 2007.
In fashion almost too good to be true, whilst one home hero has departed – another has seamlessly emerged in Gateshead's Carroll. How did he fare?
How did Andy Carroll compare to Alan Shearer?
Unfortunately for Carroll, although he fits the geographical profile of a beloved Shearer – he endured a career that tapered off in a different direction. The direction he traipsed was that of injury and blanks. After a promising start, Carroll's career has left many feeling that potential was never reached.
In comparison to Shearer's 206 goals for the Magpies in 405 games, Carroll couldn't even muster half his idol's appearances in two spells. It could be argued that the hype branded onto Carroll by Andy Gray was too much too soon. Gray labelled Carroll "the next Shearer" and as you could likely imagine those are some huge boots to fill, no matter how big the 6 foot 4 Carroll's feet might've been.
Despite injuries, and given Carroll's differing skill complexion as a footballer – he used what he had to the best of his abilities in terms of influencing games. His own data on Transfermarkt displays limited goals, yes. But in terms of creation, he matched his scoring. In a total of 248 Premier League games, Carroll scored 54 goals and provided 30 assists.
Enabling hold-up play, promoting knockdowns, the long ball and offensive partnerships truly reflects that Carroll was a very different nine to the more dynamic Shearer.
Additionally, when Shearer was in his Newcastle prime – the club was in a very different place to where it was when it was headed up by the likes of Andy Carroll. Carroll's best season arrived in the Championship with Newcastle's relegation. He scored 17 in 33 that term, before getting 11 in 19 back in the top-flight to set the transfer deadline day rumour mill running.
Where is Andy Carroll now?
As said, Carroll had two stints with his boyhood Magpies. Yet, in between those he managed a noteworthy career as a Premier League big man.
He even made history as he left St. James' Park the first time in 2010 – joining Liverpool for £35m right at the last minute in what was the most expensive British transfer at the time. He joined alongside fellow frontman Luis Suarez who came in from Ajax. At least Kenny got one move right…
Time at Liverpool was ultimately limited to just two years after Carroll struggled to hit any form. He moved on to West Ham where he endured six injury-riddled years.
After his second stint at Newcastle (2019-21), he moved back into the Championship with Reading. From 2021, he pinballed to West Brom and back to Reading where he popped up in brilliant cult displays.
Rocking the number two jersey on request of his young daughter, Carroll scored eight league goals in 25 2022-23 appearances. After this, amidst Reading's looming financial struggle, Carroll moved on to Amiens in France's Ligue 2.