Former England international and Newcastle's record goalscorer Alan Shearer was chairman Freddy Shepherd's first choice to be manager when Sir Bobby Robson was set for the boot ... and Shepherd was even daft enough to say "the next Newcastle boss will be a Geordie". Enter Graeme Souness - born in Edinburgh!
Shearer was again offered the job when Souness left, and again turned it down saying he lacked the experience.
Shearer Won't Be Manager For Four Years At Least
Yesterday Shearer said he would see out his four year contract with the BBC so Roeder can now rest at night.
Alan Shearer: "I can't do anything about the speculation. I'm doing my coaching badges, hopefully finalising my A-licence at the end of May, and it's important for me to do that.
"I've always said that one day I might want to go into management but there's no timescale on it. I've signed a four-year contract with the BBC and I'm busier than I've ever been in my life.
"Will I go in at a lower level, to learn the trade? Or go straight into the hot seat at St James' Park?
"If you know the answer to that, then tell me, because I don't. I'm always getting asked the question, and I always give the same answer. I don't know."
Are you worried that so few English youngsters are breaking into Premiership teams?
Shearer: "No, times have changed. You don't see kids in the street every night playing football, but kids, particularly here in the North, still love their football.
"Where else in the world would you get people going into schools and trying to educate them about a football cup competition? This is a great scheme and we need to do more of it, get them back playing football.
"In terms of youngsters at clubs, I was a big fan of the old apprenticeship, the old YTS scheme. I did mine at Southampton from 15 to 18, cleaning boots, learning life and a little bit of respect. They don't do any of that now, which is a shame.
"I can't say that I enjoyed cleaning Mark Dennis's boots at the time, but I look back now and think, 'Yeah, it was good for me'."
Were you pleased when Steve McClaren succeeded Sven Goran Eriksson?
Shearer: "I was, yeah. He works very hard, he's an excellent coach, and you don't hear the players saying anything against him. I still think we'll qualify [for Euro 2008]. The players are too good not to.
"I'm not having anyone telling me that [Wayne] Rooney or [Steven] Gerrard or [Rio] Ferdinand are not world-class players. But you also need the right balance in the team.
"We haven't been able to do that for some time, my time included. I'd like to see us stretching teams more up front and if you haven't got Michael Owen to do that alongside Rooney, then you need [Andy] Johnson or [Jermain] Defoe or [Darren] Bent.
"Peter Crouch doesn't get in behind defences, and I don't want to criticise him because he's great at what he does but..."