SHARING the same surname as one of Ewood Park’s most prolific strikers means mention the word ‘Shearer’ to any Blackburn Rovers fan and there is only one person they will be talking about.

While Alan Shearer scored 130 goals in just 171 appearances between 1992-96 to help Rovers to Premier League glory, his predecessor and namesake, Duncan, would be lucky to get a passing mention when charting the club’s proud history.

Just one goal in six games in a forgettable four month spell in 1992 at Ewood meant his Rovers career was almost over before it begun, as he moved on to Aberdeen while Kenny Dalglish & co embarked on their Premier League adventure.

‘Deadly Dunc’s’ contribution to Rovers’ golden era is therefore often overlooked, and understandably so, but even the Scot himself believes his £800,000 arrival from Swindon Town in March 1992 was more significant than most people realise.

“I could never say this for definite but you can’t help feeling that Blackburn signed me to take my goals away from Swindon Town,” he said. “I know, having spoken to people like Ray Harford and Gordon Cowans at Blackburn, Swindon were the team they really feared going into the end of the season.

“Before I went Rovers had just dropped out of the automatic spots and a play-off place looked the only way to get promoted, while Swindon were looking very dangerous in and around the play-off places as well.

“I was scoring goals at Swindon and they signed me but then I hardly played. I could never say for definite but it does seem a coincidence doesn’t it. Sadly Swindon slipped up once I left and missed out while Blackburn went up via the play-offs.

“I know Kenny says he signed me as a replacement for Mike Newell who had broken his leg - but there are many who believe the Swindon factor played a part as well.”

Replaced by Alan Shearer that summer, with the likes of Chris Sutton, Kevin Gallacher, and Graeme Le Saux soon to follow, Duncan’s brief stay in East Lancashire will always be non event Talk to fans from Huddersfield, Swindon Town, Aberdeen and Inverness Caledonian Thistle though and the likable ginger Scot will always be remembered as a favourite - a legend in some cases.

Having finished top scorer in both of his seasons at Huddersfield, Shearer’s incredible goal tally helped Swindon Town rise from obscurity to the brink of the top flight - finishing at the club with 99 goals in just 199 appearances.

He had hit 32 from 48 games when Rovers swooped for him on transfer deadline in March 1992 and his loss proved crucial for the Wiltshire outfit who scored just seven goals in their last nine games to finish just out of the play-off spots in eighth. Rovers sneaked in in sixth and won promotion.

Fighting for a place though against the likes of David Speedie, Mike Newell, Roy Wegerle, Simon Garner and Steve Livingstone, Shearer never got his chance to flourish, moving back to Scotland for £500,000 just four months later, but he insists he has no regrets.

He said: “ I signed from Swindon Town and remember making my debut at Barnsley. I scored as well but that was as good as it got. I made half a dozen appearances before it came to an end.

“Blackburn went to Wembley that season and we won promotion but I don’t feel as though I played a part in it. My claim to fame is I was replaced by Alan Shearer. He was signed for a few million and sold for about 15m. Not a bad bit of business was it?

“I had been at Swindon for four to five years and there were always financial problems at the club. Literally every season there was a problem. I remember when we got promoted to the top division by beating Sunderland in the play-offs under Ossie Ardiles but were then demoted two leagues because of financial irregularities.

“To go to a club like Blackburn was a good move. Firstly I signed for my boyhood hero but I really don’t regret going there because I learned a lot from him - even though I didn’t last very long.

“Obviously I felt for Swindon Town missing out on the play-offs but I had just had enough of the way the club were being run back then. It was a farce and it has only been in recent years they have managed to sort things out there.”

As Shearer continued his scoring exploits at Aberdeen, hitting 53 league goals in 116 appearances, Dalglish used Jack Walker’s millions to establish Rovers as a top flight force.

Three years later the club were lifting the Premier League title but, picking up the Scottish League Cup himself, he isn’t about to start dreaming of what might have been had he stayed in England.

He said: “Come the summer Kenny Dalglish rang me up from a cruise and said I was welcome to stay and fight for my place but that Aberdeen had put in an offer for me.

“I was 29, I had played in England for 10 years. I felt it would enhance my international ambitions. I felt I was being ignored in England and sure enough within the year of moving back to Scotland, I got my first international cap and went on to make seven appearances.

“I am more of a realist than a dreamer. I was a decent player and a goal scorer at that level I was playing at with Swindon and Blackburn. The Premier League would have been a big step up though and I certainly wasn’t in the class of Alan Shearer.”

The 47-year-old went on to enjoy assistant manager spells at Cally Thistle, helping them to a famous win over Celtic, and Aberdeen, before guiding Highland League side Buckie Thistle to the Aberdeenshire Cup twice and the Aberdeenshire Shield.

As Blackburn Rovers travel to his first ever English club Chelsea tomorrow, Shearer will be taking his place in the Aberdeen press boss in his current media role, but with an eye on how two of his former employees are faring - claiming he owes them both a lot.

“I only made two appearances at Chelsea,” he said. “I was there for two and a half years and learned a lot. They had strikers like Kerry Dixon and David Speedie and I just loved learning from them.

“I believe my spells at Chelsea and Blackburn made me into a better player even though they didn’t go as I hoped.”