Legend Shearer's advice to Kiwi soccer players

Anthony Hobbs, 15, with Alan Shearer at the Glenfield coaching clinic. Picture / Greg Bowker

English soccer legend Alan Shearer says the round-ball code may not be able to compete with rugby in New Zealand - but junior players still need something to aspire to.

Shearer is in Auckland for two days as part of promotional tour for international football brand Umbro.

And young players from around the country got a chance to learn from the footballing great during a coaching clinic at Glenfield Rovers Football Club on the North Shore yesterday.

In a press conference the former England captain acknowledged the profile of rugby in New Zealand, but said it was important to keep the high numbers of junior soccer players in the game.

"There's enough kids playing, but they don't follow through with it," he said. "It would be great to see more 16- and 17-year-olds out there."

Shearer, 36, retired from the game at the end of last season. Yesterday, 50 soccer fans aged 10 to 15 enjoyed a two-hour coaching session.

Twelve-year-old Danyon Drake, from Hawkes Bay United, said he was a big follower of Newcastle United, and of Shearer. "He's my idol," he said. "I couldn't believe it when they told me I was going to meet him."

Glenfield Rovers player Anthony Hobbs, 15, who will be travelling to Argentina with the New Zealand Under-17 team on Sunday, said he had learned a lot from Shearer in his two hours with him.

Glenfield Rovers manager Richard Wilson said simply having an appearance by Shearer showed players there were opportunities out there.

"It's an experience these players will never forget," he said. "There's definitely room for growth in the sport here but for many of the kids it's about looking to people like Shearer for inspiration."

Shearer's advice to the goal-starved New Zealand Knights is simple: keep working hard.

Although a prolific scorer, he knew about barren spells, like the one the Knights - who have found the back of the net just once in six A-League matches - are going through.

Shearer recalled his own drought of 11 matches before Euro'96 and how there were calls for him to be dropped.

Manager Terry Venables kept faith with the player, who then went on to become the tournament's top scorer with five goals during England's run to the semifinals.

"It happens to everyone, to every team, that you're going to have a barren spell," he said.

"You only get through it by working hard, being patient and being brave enough and strong enough to take the criticism on the chin. Hard work, that's all.

While he is in the process of gaining coaching qualifications, Shearer said there was no certainty that he would go into football management.

He said he made a commitment to his family and to the BBC, where he worked as a football commentator, that he would take a break from the game.

"I do love the game. I love watching it. I loved playing it. So maybe one day I will give it a crack."


The record

* During his career for Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle, he scored 379 goals at the top domestic level of English football.

* The 206 goals he scored for Newcastle are a club record.

* He represented England 63 times, during which he was captain and scored 30 goals.

- Additional reporting NZPA