HAAL OF FAME

Shearer backs City goal machine Erling to break his Premier League scoring record

- JEREMY CROSS

ALAN SHEARER has backed Erling Haaland to replace him as the greatest Premier League striker of all time.

Shearer remains the leading scorer in Premier League history with 260 goals.

The record has stood since 2006, when the former England, Blackburn and Newcastle forward retired.

But Shearer has hailed Haaland, 25, as the “perfect centre-forward” - and someone who can go on to score more goals than he did.

Haaland has netted 94 league goals in just 104 appearances since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.

Shearer told Betfair: “Haaland is the perfect centre-forward.

“His record is phenomenal and appetite to score is fantastic. I love it. He’s quick, strong, agile, he reacts quicker than most around the six-yard box, which is impressive, and his ability to put the ball in the back of the net is magnificent.

“If you're building a footballer or centre-forward, you wouldn't look too far away from Haaland being the perfect one.

“Haaland could definitely break my Premier League goal record. There's no doubt that, if he does another seven or eight years, maybe even less, then he'll have a brilliant chance of breaking it.