BRYAN ROBSON feels Alan Shearer will always regret turning down the chance to sign for Manchester United, despite the retired striker's hero status during ten years on Tyneside, writes Paul Fraser.

Robson, in his recently-released autobiography Robbo, understands the former England striker's reasons for moving to St James' Park instead of Old Trafford.

But, knowing Shearer cost £15m from Blackburn, Robson reveals his belief that the 35-year-old's failure to win trophies regularly at either Newcastle or Blackburn will have left him considering what might have been.

Robson insists that Shearer's first decision to opt for Blackburn, where he won the Premiership title in 1995, was a bigger mistake than when he resisted Sir Alex Ferguson's overtures in the summer of 1996.

"Instead of joining the biggest club in the country he went to Blackburn, a decision that baffles me to this day. I believe Alan made a massive mistake in not going to United, there's no getting away from that," said Robson.

"Even though he had a fantastic career with England and a good career with Blackburn and Newcastle, his cabinet would have been full of all kinds of trophies and medals if he had gone to Old Trafford.

"Alan is a brilliant professional and I wonder why he made that decision. Money may have been an issue but he would have made more at United. He would have had far more success at United."

And, on moving to Newcastle, Robson said: "At least you can see reasons why Alan would want to move to his home town and be a hero up there. There were suggestions that Jack Walker (Blackburn owner) wouldn't sell him to United anyway.

"Ultimately, though, a player will go where he wants to go and I think that if Alan had really wanted to go to Old Trafford, at some stage of his career, he could have done. I think Alan, deep down, will regret that he never joined United."