Shearer to quit England after Euro 2000

Alan Shearer will quit international football at 29 years of age.

Shearer intends Euro 2000 to be his last matches for England.

The Newcastle striker spoke to reporters after the 2-0 Premiership win over Sheffield Wednesday in which he hit his 24th goal of the season.

Shearer has played 57 times for England but has now limited his future appearances to perhaps only six more matches. England face Brazil, Ukraine and a trip to Malta as they prepare for Euro 2000 and then three group matches in a tough section to make the knockout stage of the finals. The striker has scored 28 goals for England since his 1992 debut against France and was a certainty to be the lead striker for England in any game under coach Kevin Keegan. Keegan, like Glenn Hoddle and Terry Venables before him, has chosen his front line as Shearer plus one other.

Emile Heskey played in the 0-0 draw with Argentina at Wembley on Wednesday after Shearer expressed a preference for playing alongside a powerful runner as his attacking partner.

Shearer's England career peaked at Euro 96 when his goals took the home team into the semi finals and his excellent form ended 18 months of criticism as he went through a lean goal spell.

Such criticism has dogged his international and club career where he has regularly finished as top scorer in the Premiership and may have helped to make the decision to quit England before the World Cup qualifying campaign starts.

There are many pretenders to become the main striker but none have the experience or goal rate at international level to command an automatic place in the side.

Powerful front runners like Heskey stand a good chance but the Leicester striker's finishing ability cannot be compared to Shearer's goal record. Michael Owen is seen as a partner for penalty box player perhaps his club mate Robbie Fowler while Kevin Phillips is a contender.

The biggest winner could prove to be the international career of Andy Cole.

Only Cole's goal scoring can compare to the consistency of Shearer so he will perhaps step up to become the senior striker but he has yet to convince for England with World Cup games immediately following Shearer's retirement.

Cole attacked Shearer as "untouchable" in the England set up in October even if the Newcastle player was not scoring goals. Shearer's retirement will radically alter the selection and balance of the attacking line up and leaves those who have relied on 'potential' in his shadow with the task of actually scoring goals rather than talking about it for the national team.

Shearer has explained his decision and the reasons for it to England coach Kevin Keegan and his club boss Bobby Robson.