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Alan Shearer of Newcastle retires early after injury

Former England captain Alan Shearer announced his retirement three games early yesterday, forced out of Newcastle's remaining Premier League matches because of a knee injury.

Shearer scored a hat-trick on his Southampton debut as a 17-year-old and helped Blackburn win its first league title for 81 years.

Playing 10 years for Newcastle, however, the former England captain couldn't bring success to his hometown club. If he'd gone to Manchester United instead, he probably would have won several league and cup titles as well as European Champions League medal.

Typically, Shearer scored on his final appearance -- a penalty in a 4-1 victory Monday at neighbor Sunderland to cheer the Magpies supporters.

But the striker who netted 283 league goals in 19 seasons for Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle, failed to bring any trophies to a club which has been without a league title triumph since 1927 and an FA Cup since 1955.

Shearer, who scored 30 times for England in 63 appearances, set milestone after milestone both in the transfer market and in the scoring lists. He had the chance to move to Old Trafford rather than Newcastle, but opted for his hometown club in 1996 for a British-record ?15 million (US$26.7 million).

"My dream as a kid was to play for Newcastle United and to score goals at St. James' Park," Shearer told the Sun yesterday. "It doesn't matter that I didn't win a trophy because I did it my way and I lived the dream.

"Unless you come from the area you wouldn't understand that mentality. Playing for the club is everything. I broke Jackie [Milburn's scoring] record and no one can take that away from me. I've never had any regrets.

"I am finished now and I have great memories. The fact I won't be able to play the last three games is disappointing, but I'm not complaining. How could I?"

Tele Santana, who coached Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, has died of multiple organ failure, the Hospital Felicio Rocho said Friday. He was 74.

Santana had been hospitalized since March 25 in his hometown of Belo Horizonte, about 500km northeast of Sao Paulo.

He was initially diagnosed with an abdominal infection, but later developed a lung infection and kidney and liver problems, Dr. Jose Olinto Pimenta Figueiredo said in a statement.

"He was great because he was commendable both on and off the field," current Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira told the Agencia Estado news service. "He left his mark and had a successful career."

Santana's health progressively deteriorated since he suffered a stroke in 1996. He had been battling diabetes for several years, and part of his left leg was amputated because of the disease in 2003.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a statement Friday night he received the news of Santana's death with great sorrow, adding Santana's legacy would remain alive for future generations.

Despite containing stars like Zico, Falcao and Socrates, Brazil lost 3-2 and was eliminated by eventual champion Italy in the 1982 World Cup when it just needed a draw to reach the semifinals. The match became known as the "Disaster of Sarria," the city where it was played in Spain.

In 1986 in Mexico, Brazil -- with Zico and striker Careca -- lost to France on penalties in the quarterfinals.
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