Alan Shearer has revealed how much he was paid for signing his first ever professional contract and admits he "blew the lot" on one massive purchase.
Newcastle-born Shearer began his professional career at the opposite end of the country with Southampton, making his first-team debut in 1988.
He would go on to be of the most legendary strikers in English football history, scoring 362 senior goals in 703 games for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and finally his hometown club Newcastle.
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He remains the Premier League's all-time top scorer with 260 goals and was inducted into the league's Hall of Fame in 2021 in recognition of his achievements.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer opened up on his first-ever professional payslip at Southampton – revealing he received a significant signing-on bonus as part of his deal.
When asked when was the first moment he realised he was living 'the good life' as a footballer, Shearer replied: "It has to be my first ever professional contract when I was 17.
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"I signed a three-year deal and got a £6,000 signing-on fee and I went and blew the lot on a brand-new car.
"£3,395 - that's what I got after tax.
"I still remember it now, it was my first one. Red Escort 1300L - B93XHT. And I thought I was rich because I got my first new car."
Gary Lineker then gave a similar answer to the same question, replying: "For me, it was the same thing – I got a little Alfa Romeo, but I can't remember the number plate!
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"I think most of us, the first big thing we spend money on is our car. Those were the days."
Co-host Micah Richards has previously opened up on his own spending as a youngster at Manchester City, revealing a speech from former teammate Andrew Cole proved to be life-changing for him.
"One day, when I was still spending money like it was about to run out, I came into training with an all-diamond watch. It had cost me a fortune and I was keen to show it off. Andrew Cole was unimpressed," wrote Richards, in his 2022 book titled 'The Game: Player. Pundit. Fan.'
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"He asked: 'What do you think you're doing?' I was offended. I started to argue with him, to tell him not to criticise, but he didn't rise to it.
"He just asked me where my parents were living. They were still in their old house in Chapeltown, I said. 'And how much would that house cost?' he asked.
"I didn't know, but I was pretty sure a watch made entirely from diamonds would make a decent deposit. 'And yet you're buying this,' he said, pointing at the watch.
"'If you've done what you need to do, buy whatever you want,' he said. 'But don't buy all this stuff first when you don't have all the other stuff lined up. Don't fall into that trap.'
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"I don't think I ever told him, but that speech changed my life. It was a kick up the a***. I don't know why he singled me out for help.
"Maybe he saw me as a younger version of himself: a young black kid who was going to have to work out what to do with all of the money coming his way.
"It was a little bit of harsh reality that I needed. I made sure, from that point on, that my future and my family's future was secure — and I bought my parents a house."
Topics: Alan Shearer, Football, Premier League, Southampton, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers
Rory O'Callaghan