BLACKBURN LEGEND ALAN Shearer has claimed he is ready to talk to the Championship club about making an emotional return to Ewood Park as manager, but only if Venky’s relinquished their reputed control of team affairs.
Shearer would be a popular choice to succeed Steve Kean, who quit last week, as the former England striker enjoys hero status at Blackburn after firing Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995.
The 42-year-old has been out of football since an eight-match spell as Newcastle’s caretaker manager ended with the club’s relegation from the Premier League in 2009.
But Shearer admitted the prospect of helping lead Blackburn back to the top-flight might appeal to him after four successful years as a Rovers player.
Shearer is yet to have any contact with Venky’s, the firm who own Blackburn, but he confirmed he would be willing to discuss the job if they get in touch.
“I’ve not spoken to the Blackburn owners. If they approached me I would speak to them,” Shearer said on the BBC’s Football Focus show this morning.
“It’s a strange one at Blackburn, I’m sure they had a plan with Steve Kean but it’s now a tough situation. Whoever takes over, they have to make sure it is the right choice.”
The much-maligned Kean resigned at the end of September, saying in a statement that his position had become “untenable”, following a stormy two-year reign that featured constant abuse from fans unhappy that he replaced the popular Sam Allardyce.
Venky’s have also attracted criticism for the way they have run Blackburn and although Rovers are among the early pace-setters in the Championship, occupying a play-off place ahead of Saturday’s home match against Wolves, Shearer hinted he would need to be convinced he would have total control before taking the job.
“With my history at Blackburn, I would speak to them if they called me but I think things would have to change,” he said.
Roy Keane is also thought to be a front-runner for the vacant post.
