Blackburn Rovers legend Mike Newell concedes he's never come close to returning to Ewood Park as coach.

When Alan Shearer was linked with the Rovers manager's job following the departure of Mark Hughes two years ago, there was speculation that Newell was being lined up as his assistant.

Asked whether that had been a possibility at the time, Newell seemed startled to be mentioned in connection with any job at Rovers.

"It never got to that stage," he told the Lancashire Telegraph.

"I'm not sure how close Alan got to taking that job or whether they came to offering him the job.

"But until anything like that happens there was no point talking about it."