Newcastle United have handed Alan Shearer a major role in helping the club attract the game's biggest names to St James' Park.
The ex-England striker, 35, has been handed the title sporting ambassador at St James' Park after hanging up his boots.
And chairman Freddy Shepherd has left the door open for Shearer to take over as manager when he is fully qualified in two years.
New boss Glenn Roeder has been rewarded for his excellent end to the season with a contract until summer 2008.
But he will be hoping Shearer makes his job easier by helping lure top stars to Tyneside - just as he did with Michael Owen and Scott Parker last summer.
Shepherd said: "Do we see him performing that role again? Very much so.
"We'll throw him through the door first. If they don't listen to Alan Shearer, they won't listen to anybody.
"He's at the World Cup for five or six weeks but, if we have the chance to speak to a certain player in June, we'd be using Alan."
Shearer has commitments with the BBC and is also planning to travel the world now he has quit playing but he will still have the Toon's interests at heart.
Shepherd added: "Alan has wanted to do the ambassador bit and he is going to all the grounds in the world.
"He's going to see different players and kids - then report back to Newcastle.
"When he goes to Buenos Aires, he's going to be seen as Alan Shearer - Newcastle United. That's the brand he's going to be pushing."
Some Toon fans wanted to see Shearer take over as boss straightaway.
But Shepherd said: "He could never be the manager of Newcastle now because he hasn't even got his A licence.
"He needs that for a year, then you need your Pro Licence for another year so with the best will in the world, he couldn't have got his qualifications.
"In two years he's fully qualified and an option. Any club can call him but we all know where his heart is and we will see what happens in two years.
"Is he Glenn's successor? I'm sure Glenn would want to have Alan involved. He's made that quite clear. They have been a successful partnership last season."
The ex-England striker, 35, has been handed the title sporting ambassador at St James' Park after hanging up his boots.
And chairman Freddy Shepherd has left the door open for Shearer to take over as manager when he is fully qualified in two years.
New boss Glenn Roeder has been rewarded for his excellent end to the season with a contract until summer 2008.
But he will be hoping Shearer makes his job easier by helping lure top stars to Tyneside - just as he did with Michael Owen and Scott Parker last summer.
Shepherd said: "Do we see him performing that role again? Very much so.
"We'll throw him through the door first. If they don't listen to Alan Shearer, they won't listen to anybody.
"He's at the World Cup for five or six weeks but, if we have the chance to speak to a certain player in June, we'd be using Alan."
Shearer has commitments with the BBC and is also planning to travel the world now he has quit playing but he will still have the Toon's interests at heart.
Shepherd added: "Alan has wanted to do the ambassador bit and he is going to all the grounds in the world.
"He's going to see different players and kids - then report back to Newcastle.
"When he goes to Buenos Aires, he's going to be seen as Alan Shearer - Newcastle United. That's the brand he's going to be pushing."
Some Toon fans wanted to see Shearer take over as boss straightaway.
But Shepherd said: "He could never be the manager of Newcastle now because he hasn't even got his A licence.
"He needs that for a year, then you need your Pro Licence for another year so with the best will in the world, he couldn't have got his qualifications.
"In two years he's fully qualified and an option. Any club can call him but we all know where his heart is and we will see what happens in two years.
"Is he Glenn's successor? I'm sure Glenn would want to have Alan involved. He's made that quite clear. They have been a successful partnership last season."
