HENNING Berg is steeling himself to face the deadliest feet in Europe and admits: "He can be impossible to stop."

The Blackburn Rovers defensive ace knows he could be charged with the mission of stopping flying bomb Alan Shearer in his tracks in tonight's friendly international.

The two Blackburn Rovers' buddies are due to meet on opposite sides in a captivating duel when England face Norway in the Ullevaal Stadium.

But Berg is not making any special plans for England's number one defensive destroyer.

"I don't know what role I will be asked to take against England. But I play against Alan Shearer in training every day and I know how hard he is to stop," admits Berg.

"You just can't make plans against a player like that. He has immense strength and, as a defender, you can't give him an inch. He is impossible to stop at times.

"I think it underlines his immense ability that he has scored seven Premiership goals in a team which has struggled for form.

"Alan possesses the knack of scoring from any angle of play and that makes it so difficult to close him down."

Tonight's friendly international represents a rapid return to Norway for Berg and Shearer after the misery of the 2-1 Champions' Cup defeat to Rosenborg in Trondheim last month.

And it gives England manager Terry Venables the chance to avenge the 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Norwegians in June 1993 as the build-up to the European Championships continues.

That defeat, under Graham Taylor, cost England a place at the World Cup finals in 1994.

"The standard of Norwegian football has developed so much over the past 10 years," said Berg.

"Although we only have a country of four million people, we've made incredible steps at world level.

"I think the secret is that we've developed younger players from an early age. A new generation of young footballers have broken through and we can take on the world.

"I think the Norwegian policy of developing and nurturing players has maybe moved ahead of the the system in England."

Les Ferdinand will not even be on the England bench in Oslo tonight after losing out to Alan Shearer in the tussle to spearhead Terry Venables' attack against Norway.

Despite his 11 goals since joining Newcastle, the former QPR striker has now lost out to Tottenham's Teddy Sheringham - just one goal in 10 internationals - when the England coach named his five substitutes.

Sheringham has scored 10 goals in the last six games for Spurs.

The only other attacking player is Nottingham Forest's uncapped 24-year-old midfielder Steve Stone, perhaps surprisingly preferred to Gareth Southgate of Aston Villa.

England substitutes: Walker (Tottenham), Jones (Liverpool), Bould (Arsenal), Stone (Nottm Forest), Sheringham (Tottenham).

**Blackburn Rovers Reserves drew 2-2 with Everton at Goodison Park last night.

Everton fielded a strong Pontins League line-up which included returning striker Daniel Amokachi and winger Andrei Kanchelskis.

Matty Holmes and Mike Holt were both on target for Rovers.

**James Beattie netted a hat-trick as the youth team clocked up a fine 5-0 Lancashire Cup first round victory over Rochdale at Spotland. Damian Duff and Dave Worrell completed the rout.

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