Alan Shearer went well down the road in talks with Blackburn Rovers.

The People says Rovers' insiders say Shearer's appointment was "close" after he and his camp had spent 72 hours discussing the post. The club even took the step of getting approval from the League about Shearer working despite his lack of qualifications.

Shearer - like Gareth Southgate and Glenn Roeder before him - does not have his full set of coaching badges. But he is in the process of doing them and would have been allowed to work.

The collapse of the talks was a blow for Rovers. But there were worries within the club about Shearer's desire to carry on his BBC career and demands for commercial deals as part of his contract.