Shearer: Don't touch Bellamy

Bellamy has been linked with a return to St James' Park as Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has indicated he will unload the forward after only a season with the beaten Champions League finalists.

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The new Wales captain was also linked with West Ham, Blackburn, Juventus and Roma last week but Shearer — among those who endured a tempestuous relationship with the striker during their Newcastle days — remembers his disruptive influence more than most.

The former England captain was also sent abusive text messages by Bellamy when the latter was eventually sold by Graeme Souness.

Bellamy is alleged to have taunted Shearer with: "Your legs are gone. You're too old. You're too slow," after Newcastle's 4-1 FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United in 2005.

Shearer was said to have shaken visibly with rage and threatened to "knock his block off".

Allardyce has already signed Joey Barton and Mark Viduka but Shearer fears Bellamy could also be lined up as the manager is on the verge of being handed substantial funding by new billionaire owner Mike Ashley.

Shearer said: "I was having a few days away in France with Gary Speed and Steve Harper and the wives and I picked up a newspaper. I was having a fantastic day but when I read Bellamy for Newcastle, I thought I would definitely have to have another drink, so I had several.

"Has no one learned their lesson about signing him? If only Rafa Benitez had rung me, I would've told him exactly what he was like. I hope there isn't anything in it.

"It would be interesting, especially with Terry McDermott still here, because there was a scuffle at Anfield when Craig and Terry were coming down the tunnel."

Shearer could be on the verge of being offered a job by Steve McClaren with the England set-up after revealing at a charity dinner in Newcastle that he has passed his UEFA A licence.

Shearer turned down McClaren's approach last year but he has swept through the coaching qualifications and could even take on a top managerial job of his own.

But the former Newcastle No 9, who retired 13 months ago, is not ready to step into management just yet. That will be a relief for Allardyce as he looks to establish himself at St James' after his shock departure from Bolton.

Shearer said: "I have just finished my badges so I could go into management now if I wanted to, but why should I? There is only one place I am going to go when I do it, so I just wanted to enjoy some time out.

"My wife says, 'We see less of you now than the previous 10 years,' so I'm going to take a bit of time to spend with the family, but I will do it one day. If I get to 50 or 55 and I look back and I haven't done it, I will regret it, but I don't know when I will do it."

Shearer was signed by Kevin Keegan in 1996 but was unable to add to his solitary Premiership title medal under six Newcastle managers.

He turned down the chance to take over from Glenn Roeder in April but has seen enough of the club's recent managers to have a good idea how to succeed in the St James' Park hot-seat.

Allardyce has also been linked with Holland Under 21 striker Maceo Rigters, who has scored two goals in the current European Championship in his home country. Rigters' agent Tom Smit said the NAC Breda player will decide between Newcastle and Celtic after his interest in the competition has ended.