Alexander duncan shearer birthday

Ex-Aberdeen goal machine Duncan Shearer turns 61 today as the forward remains a firm favourite with supporters in the Granite City. In a five year spell between and , Shearer's 78 goals in matches in an incredibly inconsistent Dons side saw him given the nickname "Deadly Dunc" by those on the terraces. The striker started out his professional career in a short stint with Chelsea between and , having previously turned out for Clachnacuddin in the Highland League.

Duncan Nichol Shearer (born 28 August ) is a Scottish former footballer, currently coaching the 'Development squad' at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

During his four years with the Clach between and he was closely monitored by the then Aberdeen boss Alex Ferguson who even offered Shearer a trial game at Pittodrie in the club's reserve team. However the fixture that Shearer was expected to play in was suddenly cancelled and there were no more approaches for the player, who would have to wait a further nine years before he was finally able to pull on the famous red shirt.

After failing to make the grade at Chelsea, Shearer moved onto English second division side Huddersfield where he netted 47 goals in 94 matches. Shearer enjoyed another prolific goal scoring spell, finding the net on 99 occasions in matches in all competitions and was named in the second division's PFA Team of the Year in his final season in Shearer quickly became a big favourite with the fans after hitting a brace on his debut in a win against Hibernian at Pittodrie.

He finished his first season with the club with an impressive tally of 27 goals in all competitions as the Reds finished as runners-up to Rangers in all three domestic competitions. Their Glasgow rivals won the league title by nine points, having previously defeated Aberdeen in the League Cup Final earlier that season, where Shearer had got his team back on level terms before Rangers clinched the cup in extra-time.

Aberdeen then had the chance to enact revenge on the Light Blues in the Scottish Cup final, but fell to another loss with Lee Richardson scoring their consolation goal. The Dons would again finish second to Rangers in the league the following season, with Shearer falling short of his goal tally the previous year by just a single goal. Four of those 26 goals came in the Scottish Cup, although Aberdeen would then lose out to Dundee United for a place in the final.

The arrival of Billy Dodds bolstered the side's attacking options in the summer of for a potential title challenge but as it turned out the Reds would have been relegated that season had it not been for the strike partnership of Shearer and Dodds. The pair hit 25 goals between them nine for Shearer, 16 for Dodds as the club finished second bottom of the table, dropping into a relegation play-off against Dunfermline.

It was during that season that Shearer was recognised by Scotland at international level, and over the next year he would go onto notch two goals in seven senior caps.