Shearer bids farewell with a goal

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2006

NEWCASTLE, England (AFP) — Alan Shearer brought the curtain down on his playing career by doing what he has always done - scoring a goal.

The 35-year-old scored a penalty with the final kick of the game as Newcastle beat Celtic 3-2 in his testimonial match at St James' Park.

A knee injury suffered three weeks ago prevented him playing a proper role, but he kicked the first and last balls of the match.

A crowd of 52,275 swelled the ground and generated about around one million pounds for charity.

It was the final appearance of a Newcastle career which began when Shearer joined for a then world record 15 million pounds from Blackburn in July 1996 and included a club-record 206 goals.

Shearer's final competitive appearance for Newcastle was in...