Newcastle United replaced Rafa Benitez with Steve Brice earlier this week but Alan Shearer has claimed that he told him to stay away from the job.
The Magpies failed to convince Rafa Benitez to extend his contract at St. James’ Park and the Spaniard moved on at the end of last month. Newcastle, after much deliberation, appointed Bruce this week which has caused outrage among fans.
Club legend Alan Shearer wrote in his column that he met his good friend Bruce for dinner three weeks ago and the topic of the Newcastle job arose. The former Newcastle hero admitted that he told Brice to stay away from the job considering how toxic the job will be for him.
He claimed to have told Bruce: “No, no, no, don’t take it. Why are you going to be any different to Keegan or Benitez? If you take it, you must be mad because you know how it works there.”
Shearer went onto say that Bruce was unlikely to have been Newcastle’s first three options for the vacant managerial role and claimed that ‘he could have been the last man standing — and Newcastle just knew he would probably take the job because he has always wanted it.’
Despite the warning, the former Sunderland boss has taken up one of the most daunting jobs in the Premier League and Shearer claims that he will have no excuses if things go south during his tenure due to the difficult circumstances under which he will have to carry out his job in the upcoming season.
Shearer, in a way, ruled out joining his friend in the dugout by saying: “He also knows what has gone on with me at the club in the past, so at least he won’t be asking me to join him!” The Magpies’ legend conveyed his best wishes to the new manager despite initially telling him to stay away from the job and he also claimed that nobody would be happier than him if they were to succeed under Bruce.
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