Shearer insists role is temporary

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Shearer tells Football Focus why he took the job

New Newcastle United manager Alan Shearer insists he is only at St James' Park until the end of the season.

Shearer is the relegation-threatened club's fourth manager this season, with Joe Kinnear on leave after heart surgery but planning a summer return.

"I enjoyed doing what I was doing with the BBC and I'm looking forward to doing it again next season," Shearer told the BBC's Football Focus show.

"I know what I'm doing next season. I'm here (Newcastle) for eight games only."

The 38-year-old light-heartedly suggested: "My aim is to be offered the job at the end of the season because if I am that means I would have kept Newcastle in the Premier League."

606: DEBATE Have your say on Shearer's media conference

But earlier the former England striker had again stressed that he was only filling in until Kinnear returned.

"I'm definitely only here for eight weeks and that's all I'm concentrating on," he told a packed news conference.

"It would hurt and devastate me if the club were playing in the Championship.

"We are third-bottom of the league. Whether that is because of bad luck, bad play, low confidence, poor refereeing decisions... it doesn't matter, it is history.

"We have a massive fight on our hands in difficult circumstances. We've got injuries but we will face it head on and give it a right good go."

The former England striker also confirmed that injury-plagued forward Michael Owen, who has played only five league games this year, will start on Saturday against Chelsea and is crucial to his plans to save the club from relegation.

Watch Shearer's full news conference at St James' Park

After Saturday Newcastle have difficult encounters against title-chasing Liverpool and European contenders Aston Villa and Tottenham.

Currently third from bottom, the Magpies are two points away from safety and have to face relegation rivals Portsmouth, Stoke and Middlesbrough in the run-in.

Flanked by new assistant Iain Dowie, Shearer, who scored 206 goals in 404 Newcastle appearances, is to bring in Paul Ferris to run the club's medical department.

A former Newcastle physiotherapist, Ferris knows Shearer well from his time at the club.

Newcastle have suffered numerous injury problems this season, with Owen just one of a number of key players who have been sidelined.

Shearer, who joined Newcastle in 1996 for £15m, has been given an eight-week sabbatical from his job as a pundit for the BBC's Match of the Day programme.

Toon Army greets Shearer

He has no managerial experience and said that was why he had brought in former Crystal Palace, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and Queens Park Rangers manager Dowie as his number two.

"Iain's an experienced manager and he will tell me if he thinks I'm getting it wrong," said Shearer, who played with Dowie at Southampton.

"I felt it was important to bring him in, to give it a fresh look."

The Newcastle legend, who was capped 63 times by England, plans to speak to his former managers Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish, Terry Venables, Glen Hoddle and Sir Bobby Robson about the role.

"I love this football club and I realise they are in a very bad situation," said Shearer.

"But I've been given the chance to do something about it and I believe I can turn things around at this club."

See Alan Shearer's full interview with Garth Crooks on Football Focus this Saturday at 1210 BST.