Sir Bobby on the greatest debate

Now Sir Bobby has given his opinion.

"Better than my mate (Albert) Stubbins?" said Robson with a smile. "(Peter) Beardsley, (Jackie) Milburn, Stubbins, (Hughie) Gallacher? I don't know.

"I never saw Gallacher, but I saw Albert, I saw Jackie and I saw Malcolm (Macdonald) - I brought Malcolm into the professional game.

"I can't say, but Shearer's just a colossal player, he's just been a fantastic English centre-forward. How he left here and went to Southampton, I'll never know, but he did.

"But he's returned home and he's been a fantastic buy. What a buy, to bring him home at the right time, and I think it's just been wonderful to have him back in a black-and-white shirt.

"The chairman said he's the greatest? Well, don't fight the chairman."

I’m not old enough to remember all the players that are being talked about in this debate, but it’s difficult to argue against Beardsley and Shearer being the greatest players of the modern era.