Alan Shearer spent four seasons at Blackburn Rovers between 1992 and 1996, and they may be the most prolific four seasons any striker has produced in the Premier League. He scored 112 league goals in 138 appearances, won the title, collected both major individual awards and became the first player to score 30 or more Premier League goals in three consecutive seasons, a feat no one has matched since.
Signed for a British record £3.5 million from Southampton in the summer of 1992, Shearer was the centrepiece of Jack Walker's project and the driving force behind the club's 1994-95 Premier League title. He announced himself with two goals on his league debut against Crystal Palace and never really stopped.
Alan Shearer's Blackburn Rovers Record Season by Season
| Season | League Apps | League Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 21 | 16 | Season cut short by a serious knee injury in December |
| 1993-94 | 40 | 31 | FWA Footballer of the Year; Blackburn finish 2nd |
| 1994-95 | 42 | 34 | Premier League champion; Golden Boot; PFA Player of the Year |
| 1995-96 | 35 | 31 | Golden Boot; third consecutive 30-goal season |
| Total | 138 | 112 | 130 goals in all competitions |
The Records Shearer Set at Ewood Park
Three Consecutive 30-Goal Seasons
Shearer's 31 goals in 1993-94, 34 in 1994-95 and 31 in 1995-96 made him the first, and still the only, player to pass 30 Premier League goals in three consecutive seasons. The middle campaign of the three powered Blackburn to the title, with Shearer scoring 34 of the team's 80 league goals in his partnership with Chris Sutton.
Individual Honours
Shearer swept the personal awards during his Ewood Park years: the FWA Footballer of the Year in 1994, the PFA Player of the Year in 1995 and consecutive Premier League Golden Boots in 1994-95 and 1995-96. Had a knee ligament injury not ended his first season in December 1992, when he already had 16 goals from 21 games, the numbers would likely have been even more remarkable.
Two Record Transfers
Shearer broke the British transfer record on arrival, when Blackburn paid Southampton £3.5 million for a 21-year-old in July 1992, and broke the world transfer record on departure, when Newcastle United paid £15 million for him in July 1996. Between those two fees he scored 130 goals in all competitions for Blackburn, delivered the club's first English title in 81 years, and left as the most feared centre forward in Europe.
Shearer's Place in Blackburn History
No Blackburn player has come close to Shearer's Premier League output since. His 112 league goals remain the club record for the Premier League era, and he was the club's top league scorer in all four of his seasons, a run charted in our Blackburn Rovers Premier League record. The next most prolific top scorers in a single Blackburn season, Roque Santa Cruz with 19 in 2007-08 and Benni McCarthy and Yakubu with 18, sit closer to half of Shearer's 1994-95 peak.
Alan Shearer at Blackburn FAQs
Here are answers to the most common questions about Shearer's time at Ewood Park.
How many goals did Alan Shearer score for Blackburn Rovers?
112 Premier League goals in 138 appearances between 1992 and 1996, and 130 goals in all competitions.
How much did Blackburn pay for Alan Shearer?
A British record £3.5 million to Southampton in July 1992, when Shearer was 21.
Why did Shearer leave Blackburn?
Newcastle United, his hometown club, paid a world record £15 million for him in July 1996, a year after Blackburn's title defence had fallen away and Kenny Dalglish had stepped back from the manager's role.
Did Shearer win the Golden Boot at Blackburn?
Twice, in 1994-95 with 34 goals and 1995-96 with 31. He won it a third consecutive time in 1996-97 after moving to Newcastle.
Is Shearer the Premier League's all-time top scorer?
Yes. His 260 Premier League goals for Blackburn and Newcastle remain the competition record, and the 112 scored at Ewood Park came at a faster rate than any other spell of his career.
See where Shearer's title-winning season sits in the full list of champions on our Premier League winners by year page, or return to the Blackburn Rovers hub.