Few on Tyneside will ever forget the summer’s day in July 1996 when the Magpies beat Manchester United to Shearer’s signature, smashing the world transfer record to bring him home.
Following a haul of five goals in five games at Euro '96, top clubs from across the continent had been jostling for position.
With £15m offers tabled from Newcastle and Manchester United, the lure of the number nine shirt at his hometown club proved too good to turn down, and Kevin Keegan finally got his man ahead of the 1996/97 season.
As they had done for the bulk of his career, the goals continued to flow for Shearer, and in the first of his ten seasons at St. James’ Park, he scored 28 goals - forming a lethal partnership with Les Ferdinand.
Over the next two campaigns, despite some serious managerial upheaval and a devastating pre-season injury, there was no let-up as United reached two FA Cup finals in a row at the end of the 1990s.
Under Sir Bobby Robson, the hits just kept on coming, with Shearer taking his goals tally through the 100 barrier during a 2001/02 campaign that saw United qualify for the Champions League.
Over the next five years, the Toon skipper continued to hit double figures every season as he edged closer to Jackie Milburn’s magical 200 mark.
That total was matched in an FA Cup tie against Mansfield Town in January 2006, and just 28 days later, Shearer became United’s record goalscorer with his 201st strike against Portsmouth at the Gallowgate End before signing off with his 206th goal in a 4-1 win at Sunderland.
At an emotional testimonial against Celtic at St. James’ Park, Newcastle’s talismanic striker bid farewell to the fans that had worshipped him for a decade.
He returned for a brief spell as manager in 2009 and is now a leading pundit on the BBC's flagship highlights show, Match of the Day.
A statue of Shearer, commissioned by former chairman Freddy Shepherd in 2016, is located outside St. James' Park on Barrack Road.