It's 24 years ago to the day that the Lancashire Telegraph splashed on a legendary Rovers' striker who became the most expensive player in the whole world.

On July 29 1996, our front page featured no other than Alan Shearer, who completed his record-breaking transfer to Newcastle United for a whopping £15million.

At the time, the price tag on Shearer's head made him the most expensive player in the world, eclipsing the previous record of £13million.

Today, that sort of money is pocket change to top flight clubs, with the transfer record now standing at a cool £198million, which was set by French club Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 when they bought up Brazilian player Neymar from Spanish side Barcelona.

Here's what we had to say on this day in 1996:

ALAN SHEARER was today set to join Newcastle United in a world record £15 million transfer.
The sensational deal, which eclipses the previous soccer transfer record of £13 million, was finally clinched by Kevin Keegan's Newcastle last night.
It left Blackburn Rovers' owner Jack Walker "absolutely devastated" and officials and supporters "gutted".
Manchester United had been chasing the Premier League's top marksman all summer and top foreign clubs had long been interested in England's hero of Euro 96.
But even Mr Walker's mega millions couldn't change Shearer's decision to join the club he has supported since boyhood.