Newcastle United legend Malcom Macdonald would like to see Alan Shearer return to help Joelinton.

Macdonald has ­labelled the Geordies' club-record £40million buy “a dud'' – and ­believes boss Steve Bruce needs to enlist expert assistance if Joelinton is to have any future on Tyneside.

Asked if, as things stand, ­Joelinton will ever make it as Newcastle's No.9, Supermac simply told the Mirror: “No.

“There was something very ­telling a few weeks back when Steve Bruce (above) said that ­Joelinton had admitted he's not bothered about scoring goals. If you've got a centre-forward who's not bothered about scoring, you've got a dud.

“You have to be hungry all the time and be prepared to argue with all and sundry.

“But what Newcastle have is a No.9 who's not bothered about scoring. If so, what's the point of you being there?

“It makes me wonder, when you've got a fella like Alan Shearer – or maybe myself – whether we could go in for a day or two in the week and work with him to try to get the very best out of him and put a bit of fire in his belly."