GRAEME Souness last night revealed that a weary Alan Shearer had asked to be left out of his side's surprise 3-1 success at Fulham.

The Newcastle skipper was left in the North-East as his team-mates produced one of their most accomplished displays of the Premiership season to earn the club's first away win since last November.

Goals from Patrick Kluivert and Shola Ameobi helped the Magpies build on Darren Ambrose's first-half opener, but it was the absence of another forward that created most interest at Craven Cottage.

Both Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson paid the ultimate price for leaving Shearer out of their starting line-ups but, while Souness had already been assured that his job was not at risk despite Newcastle's tumble down the table, the Scot was not responsible for the striker's latest omission.

Instead, it was Shearer himself who suggested a rest after struggling to come to terms with last month's disastrous UEFA Cup defeat to Sporting Lisbon.

"Alan Shearer took it as hard as anyone when we were knocked out of the UEFA Cup," revealed Souness, who will avoid the ignominy of achieving Newcastle's lowest Premiership finish provided his side remain in the 12th place they moved into last night. "He saw that as our best chance of success this year. Both physically and psychologically, he has been drained in recent weeks. He came to me the other day and said that he could really do with a rest. He came to me - despite what has been written about the situation by various people.

"He came and asked if he could be rested, and I could not have asked for any more from Alan Shearer in the time I've been at the club, both in terms of what he has given me on the pitch and off it. He will be available for selection this weekend."

So will Kluivert and, after spending months contributing little or nothing to the Newcastle cause, the Dutch international finally rediscovered his appetite on the banks of the Thames.

His 62nd-minute header was just reward for a fully committed display that surely had something to do with his attempts to win a two-year extension to his current deal.

Souness was delighted with the striker's efforts but, with a host of comings and goings expected this summer, the Scot refused to be drawn on his transfer plans.

"Those decisions will be made in the next few weeks," he said. "But I thought Patrick worked his socks off. He has worked very hard and has a good goalscoring record with us. He has done things again tonight that remind us all of what he is capable of.

"These things will be decided - who we are keeping, who we will try to buy and who may be leaving - but first we have two more games to focus on."

The first of those comes against Everton on Saturday but, while Newcastle have little left to play for compared to their hosts, Souness insists his side will be giving their all at Goodison Park.

"There are no meaningless games," said the Magpies manager. "There is a great deal of cash involved in where you finish, so I think chairmen up and down the country will be phoning their managers to remind them what is being played for."

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