Alan Shearer tormented and excited Southampton FC supporters in equal measure: View | OneFootball

When it comes to English strikers, Alan Shearer is a name that springs to mind instantly.

In a career that spanned three clubs - Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and of course, Newcastle United, Shearer netted 361 career goals in total.

Famously, the now 53-year-old also holds the record for the most goals scored by any player in the Premier League, with 260 to his name in England's elite division - Harry Kane, on 213, is his closest challenger.

As well as having a fantastic club career, Shearer also shone on the international stage for England, scoring 30 goals in his 61 international caps.

His finest summer in a three Lions shirt undoubtedly came in 1996, when he scored five goals at EURO '96 and took home the golden boot as England crashed out on penalties to Germany in the semi-finals.

This article, however, will focus on Shearer's career from a Southampton perspective, both good and bad, with Shearer exciting supporters on the south coast just as much as he would go on to torment them later in his career.

Alan Shearer's Southampton FC career

Despite being Newcastle-born, Shearer's career began down on the south coast at Southampton, making his professional debut for the club in March 1988.

It would not take him long to get in the headlines at The Dell, scoring a hat-trick against Arsenal in his first league start for the Saints.

In doing so, Shearer became the youngest player to ever score a hat-trick in the English top-flight, aged 17 years and 240 days, breaking a 30-year record that had been held by none other than Jimmy Greaves.

Shearer would go on to make 133 appearances for the Saints over the next few seasons, netting 33 times as he found his feet in the professional game, exciting Saints supporters on the way.

In 1992, for example, he was awarded the club's player of the year award, and his performances that season were enough to convince Blackburn Rovers to fork out a reported £3.6 milion for his signature that summer.

Shearer's time at Blackburn and Newcastle

As much as he excited Saints supporters in those early years, for the remainder of his playing days, Shearer would go on to irk Saints supporters just as much.

That is because the striker would go on to have a brilliant goalscoring record against his former club whilst at both Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle.

In fact, according to Transfermarkt, Shearer is joint-top for individual players to score the most goals against the Saints, with 14 strikes in 23 appearances against the club.

Of course, some of these goals were more significant and important than others.

Whilst at Blackburn, with the club often challenging at the sharp end of the table, Shearer ensured his old side knew what they were missing, scoring six goals in seven appearances against the Saints between 1992/93 and 1995/96.

These included a goal in a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the 94/95 campaign, and crucially, another brace in a 3-2 December victory for the club that same season as Blackburn Rovers went on to lift the Premier League title by a single point ahead of Manchester United.

Post-Euro '96, Shearer returned to his hometown club Newcastle, but the goals against the Saints continued.

Indeed, Shearer went on to score nine times for the Magpies against the Saints, with his goals often proving decisive in the result.

In 2001/02, for example, Shearer was at the double in a 3-1 win over the Saints, whilst he also scored the winning goals against the club in matches in 2002/03 and 2004/05 respectively.

All in all, given the goals he scored for and against the club throughout the years, Saints fans could be forgiven for having mixed feelings when Alan Shearer rocked up to face his former side.

Whilst the England legend undoubtedly held the Saints close to his heart, having came through the youth ranks on the south coast, he never let that show on the pitch once he had departed The Dell.

Shearer was ruthless, in that sense, and in doing so, became the player to score the (joint) most goals against the Saints in his career.

With that statistic in mind, it seems clear that Shearer has tormented and excited Southampton supporters in equal measure throughout the years.