Rafa Benitez: 'Legend' Alan Shearer told me to take Newcastle job!

Rafa Benitez has revealed he sought advice from Alan Shearer before taking charge at Newcastle United.
Rafa BenitezRafa Benitez
Rafa Benitez

Benitez yesterday signed a three-year deal at the relegation-threatened club.

But the 55-year-old took advice from a number of figures in the game before succeeding Steve McClaren.

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And Benitez spoke to Shearer, the club's all-time record goalscorer, and United legend Peter Beardsley, now football development manager at St James's Park.

Asked who he spoke to, he said: "I have been talking with some legends here – Peter Beardsley is one of them.

"I was talking with Alan (Shearer) the other day.

"People that know the city, the fans, the passion. All of them, they know that it's a massive club.

"If you do things in the right way, you can achieve what you want to achieve and stay in the Premier League and afterwards to be a strong team and try to fight for something."

Newcastle, 19th in the Premier League and a point adrift of safety, take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Monday night.