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Although Alan Shearer is one of the greatest English strikers of all time, one fact in his player biography is truly surprising - as a player, he has won relatively few trophies. The best season of this 34-year-old striker was in 1994/95, when the "Premiership" was won. However, the player himself hopes that this year he will be able to lead to the top of the UEFA Cup. We are publishing an interview given by this player to Uefa.com, in which he talks about his goals at Newcastle club and EURO-2004. Uefa.com: You have said that next season will be your last. Do you still want that? Alan Shearer: I have always wanted to leave on top, so if the officials decide not to sell me this summer, next season will be the last and then I will definitely not play anywhere else. I hope to spend another great season here. Of course, it would be wonderful to win some trophies with "Newcastle" before hanging up my boots. Uefa.com: How much would it mean to you personally to win the UEFA Cup this year? Shearer: Everything. Don't get me wrong - we would prefer not to be in it. We would like to be in the UEFA Champions League, but we were kicked out of it pretty early. The only thing, as I mentioned earlier, is the UEFA Cup. We are improving at every stage, we will try to get to the semi-finals, but for both me and anyone else in our club, winning the UEFA Cup would mean a lot. Uefa.com: How far do you think England can go in the EURO? Shearer: It all depends on whether our players will be healthy and play well, especially [Michael] Owen, [Paul] Scholes, [Steven] Gerrard, [David Beckham] and [Sol] Campbell. If all these players are healthy, I think England could go all the way. Uefa.com: England's debut match is against France. How much will it determine the future? Shearer: There couldn't be tougher debut matches in the whole EURO than ours against France. Without earning points, thinking about the next stage would be much harder. So it will be very important to at least take a point in those matches. However, I believe that if everyone is healthy and in good form, we can seriously think about a victory that would give us a lot of confidence in the other championship matches. Uefa.com: Who are your favorites for this championship? Shearer: It will be very difficult against France. They have won the [FIFA] World Cup, the [UEFA] European Championship. Look at the "Premiership" and you will understand what an amazing squad they have. It will also be tough against Portugal, especially because they are playing at home, but if we field our best squad, I see no reason why England couldn't be the champions. Uefa.com: Do you regret, maybe get angry that you're not playing in the tournament? Shearer: No, not really. I last represented England four years ago. It would be ideal if I could play now, but we live in a world of no illusions, simply my body would not allow me to be there, that's all. One of the reasons I stopped playing for the national team - the desire to extend my career as a player for "Newcastle" and right now I focus my efforts and concentration here. I'll just cross my fingers and hope that England will win.
