NEWCASTLE, England, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan will decide at the end of the week whether the former Newcastle United striker has a role to play at the club.
Shearer, who retired as a Newcastle player 18 months ago, said he had had a brief phone conversation with new Newcastle manager Keegan on Friday, but nothing would be decided until he returned from Uganda at the end of the week.
Keegan, meanwhile, said he would only consider Shearer
returning to work with him at St James' Park as long as the
former England striker stopped his media work.
Shearer, who is going to Uganda for the BBC's Sport Relief
project, said on
Match of the Day: 'I've got to
ring him when I get back at the end of the week.
'I'll sit down with him at the end of the week and we'll
discuss it and see what's best for everyone.
'He's been so busy, he's gone into the club, he's got that
many staff there, he doesn't know some of their names.
'He had a huge game today, which was far more important than
speaking to any individual,' Shearer said.
Shearer, the club's all-time record scorer who has been
working as a media pundit since retiring as a player, added that
he thought the team needed to buy a creative midfielder in the
transfer market which is open for another 11 days.
Keegan said after Saturday's disappointing 0-0 draw at home
against Bolton Wanderers that Shearer could come back as his
number two but only if he stops his media work.
'If he says to me 'I don't want to be number two' then there
really isn't any point in having a long conversation,' Keegan
said.
'I think there is an involvement for Alan at this football
club and involvement at this moment could be on his terms.
'What a fantastic player to have around the club, to help
people with the art of goalscoring and just talking to the
players.
'But if you can't be there on a Saturday because you have to
do TV work then you can't ever think of yourself as a number
two.'
Keegan also said he thought Shearer would one day become
Newcastle manager.
