On 27 July 1992, just as the first Premier League campaign was about to begin, Blackburn Rovers completed the signing of striker Alan Shearer from Southampton.
The then 22-year-old had also attracted interest from Manchester United but joined the ambitious Rovers, who, under the guidance of manager Kenny Dalglish, had just won promotion to the top flight.
"The talks with Blackburn went brilliant and I promised to give them an answer within two or three days," Shearer says. "I had a call from someone at Man Utd that they wanted to sign me. I told them [the situation] and I never had a call back. It was never an option.
"It felt right for me, the project felt right. Kenny was a huge influence, as was Ray Harford, with Jack Walker's finance behind him, he had massive plans."
Shearer started superbly, scoring twice on his debut in a 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace, and within three years he would be a Premier League champion as Blackburn Rovers sealed their title triumph on a dramatic final day.
"For Blackburn to come into the Premier League, and to take on the big boys and beat them, was an incredible achievement," he says.
He scored 112 goals in only 138 matches for Blackburn before signing for his boyhood club Newcastle United in 1996, where he went on to become the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorer with 260 goals.
