From The Mirror
ALAN Shearer has promised Kevin Keegan that his revitalised club form will be carried forward into England's friendly with Argentina. His career, going downhill before Ruud Gullit left Newcastle, has taken a remarkable turn from the better.
Shearer reassured England boss Keegan when he said: "I never lost belief in my ability. I read last week that this is the eighth time in the past nine season I have passed 20 goals. Yet last year, when I got 21, I was being criticised."
After the trauma of the Gullit reign, Shearer's new attitude and a flood of goals has restored his credibility as England's No 1 striker. Shearer knows he was in danger of losing his guaranteed England place. He said: "It didn't help when the team was not playing well. Now there is a spring in everybody's step.
"But despite what has happened since, we are still only six or seven points clear on the bottom three sides." Yet with Shearer and a fit-again Duncan Ferguson functioning so well, relegation no longer seems a threat. Shearer added: "I'm very pleased with my form, I have been for a while."
If he enjoys playing with Ferguson, it suggests he would be happier alongside another big man like Emile Heskey than Kevin Phillips. Keegan turned down the request by Leicester boss Martin O'Neill to save Heskey for the Worthington Cup Final and he will definitely play some part against Argentina. To make the experiment worthwhile it has to be alongside the England captain. Phillips, the Premiership's top scorer, is also in line for another chance. That leaves Andy Cole wondering whether he will get a look-in.
