Alan Shearer Exclusive: Impossible to deny Trent his move to Madrid and Newcastle partying continues | OneFootball

The Newcastle party hasn't stopped just yet

I think I've been a bit excessive with the partying but I always said I would and it's been an unbelievable 10 days or so. From the moment I got to Wembley to even now - it just feels absolutely incredible.

It was a brilliant day out, which lasted more than a day but it was great to be there with all the family and go mad with my son.

We went to the party afterwards and it was just incredible, it really was.

Newcastle really deserved it because they were much the better team and I'm hoping that sort of sets them up for the rest of the season to try and get into fourth or fifth position.

Newcastle must set their sights on top five now

We think fifth will be enough to get into the Champions League so I'm hoping the team can kick on with some of the games they've got.

Top five is absolutely achievable. I think the belief, confidence and just the overall feeling going into the last few games will give them a real edge I think with who and what they are going forward.

I'd be confident and hopeful that Newcastle will get into the top five at least.

Newcastle can challenge for trophies season after season

Sometimes the world goes in cycles, certainly in football as well. When you look at what happened to Man City and Chelsea, I know it may be more difficult now because of PSR rules which weren't here when those two clubs were taking over, but I think what has a real chance of happening now is, Newcastle have had a taste of success, a taste of lifting a trophy.

They haven't spent any money in the last three transfer windows so I'd hope that if they can get into the top five and qualify for the Champions League, then they can kick on, sign two or three top quality players to help them achieve what they want going forward, which ultimately is more trophies.

It feels as if Newcastle are now in a really good, healthy position. I do think PSR could be a hindrance depending on what happens going forward. It won't be as easy to spend as what Chelsea and Man City did when they were taking over but prior to the last three years, Newcastle's recruitment has been absolutely first class and it's giving them a great platform to build on going forward.

Given the coming transfer window, I think Newcastle are in a really good position and they can, and will, challenge going forwards.

No one can deny Trent Alexander-Arnold the move to Real Madrid

It's not really a surprise because there's been so much talk around Trent and Real Madrid but I just look at some of the comments, and a lot of the time I don't because it irritates me, but when I looked at some of the comments on Tuesday when the news broke, I know it's his club but he's been brilliant for Liverpool, played a huge part in everything they've done in the last few years and he's won every single trophy with them.

He's been a main player in doing that and has played just under 400 games, been hugely successful and given everything to that football club.

Trent should be allowed to make the decision to say yeah, he wants to go and try something new, go into a different country for one of, if not the biggest club in the world in Real Madrid and he should be given a great send-off from the Liverpool fans if it happens.

There's never been once where you can question his attitude, he's always given his all and he's tried to do it in the correct way. He hasn't got involved in all the talk.

Liverpool turned a huge bid down for him in January so that meant they wanted him to stay and didn't want any finance. They could've taken a big fee for him and didn't so I just think, if he is going to leave, he should leave with everyone applauding him for what he's done for that brilliant football club.

Liverpool are used to this situation and they already have someone waiting in the wings

Liverpool right throughout their history have had great players who have arrived at the club and left. Liverpool will move on.

Look at the great players they've had that have always been replaced. For a great midfielder in Graeme Souness, you then get Steven Gerrard. Liverpool will move on, still be a great football club and will still win stacks of trophies - there's no doubt about that but it is what it is and Trent should be allowed to say that he wants to try and sample something different in a different country. That doesn't mean he doesn't love Liverpool. He just wants to try something different and that should be respected.

They've got Conor Bradley who is a fabulous player and will play a big part for Liverpool going forward but that's a position they'll also have to identify and reinforce.

Great players move on, find a way to move forward and great football clubs find a way to replace a player which Liverpool will do. That's just the way it works.

He will be a huge success at Real Madrid and will help them win trophies

Looking at what is in store for him at Real Madrid, I think he'll do really well. He's a fabulous player with his crossing and passing range.

I've always said, to be a centre-forward in a team he's playing in when you're making those runs and wanting those crosses into the box, there's no one better at doing that.

Trent is a quality player. He'll be a huge success at Real Madrid and will help the club win big trophies as he has done for Liverpool.

Trent is leaving a huge powerhouse of a football club and joining another one in Real Madrid. For him to try something different in a new country after all he's done for Liverpool. I just think that should be respected.

The real test for England wont be until the latter stages of the World Cup

England's opposition weren't great so it's difficult to judge against. There were one or two things to note like the ball was getting played forward quicker and the wide players were trying to get at the full-backs a little bit quicker. There were slight improvements but Albania and Latvia at Wembley doesn't get the juices flowing does it.

As for positives, clean sheets, scored a few goals but there wasn't too much difference. I liked Thomas Tuchel's approach and the way he spoke. He's got a really talented squad and we're not going to find out whether they've massively improved until England get to the last 16 of the World Cup which will be late June/early July of 2026 so that's when we'll find out.

England have been to semi-finals and finals, Tuchel has been hired to take us that little bit further. We all know what his job is and so does he.

I'd also imagine, between now and then, they'll be scrambling around to get friendlies against better opposition but they'll face that level of opposition in the early stages of the World Cup because there are more countries involved now. From that point of view it'll be of benefit but they'll also have to play against better opposition between now and the start of the World Cup which I'm sure they will do.

Miles Lewis-Skelly made a great debut

Without doubt, Mile Lewis-Skelly's debut performance was a huge positive to take. It was a big blow for Lewis Hall to be injured because he'd have been involved and I'm sure made an impact because he's had a really good season with Newcastle but Lewis-Skelly is a wonderful talent.

In a good way, he's got an arrogance and strut about him that I really like. He's obviously got great ability and he wasn't phased by his huge rise in such a short space of time for club and country.

I'd be the first to congratulate goal machine Kane if he joined Liverpool and broke my Premier League record

Harry Kane is a machine and he'll always score goals. Despite his age, if you provide him with chances or balls into the box, he'll find a way to put the ball in the back of the net and that's the sign of a great goalscorer.

Harry has always done it for England. I know there's been one or two debates about last summer but if he's got players who are prepared to run beyond him then that opens up space for him and if you get to the byline like Declan Rice did and whip a ball across like that, he'll score goals. He's a great goalscorer and has been for so many years now.

Liverpool will be looking for a centre-forward in the summer, I don't doubt that and Harry Kane would be a great option for them because of the size of the club and he'll score goals.

Whether Harry decides to stay in Germany or he decides to come back to the Premier League, he'll have options.

I've always said that if he comes back to the Premier League then he'll have a really, really good chance of breaking my record. I'm a huge admirer of him and you can't be anything but because of who and what he is.

My Premier League record won't last forever. I don't know how long I've been at the top of the charts but it's been a great privilege to be there when you look at the number of top quality players there.

The record will go one day and when it does go, and if it's to Harry, he knows I'd be the first to congratulate him and shake his hand because if anyone deserves it, he does.

At the moment, I'm still enjoying it so long may it continue!