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Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer sends warning to unused Magpies man after famous Champions League win

Newcastle United beat Benfica 3-0 at St James' Park on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League
Newcastle United beat Benfica 3-0 at St James' Park on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League (Image credit: Getty Images)

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has sent a warning to an unused Magpies man following another famous Champions League win.

Eddie Howe's men sent Portuguese giants Benfica packing at St James' Park on Tuesday, with goals from Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes (two), in a 3-0 victory.

Alan Shearer warns Newcastle United man future Toon decision

Alan Shearer has called out a member of Eddie Howe's side

Alan Shearer has called out a member of Eddie Howe's side (Image credit: Getty Images)

Shearer, who played for and briefly managed the Magpies, believes Yoane Wissa hasn't been the most responsible during his short tenure in the north-east, having again only just returned to light training.

Having forced through a move from Brentford, fans are yet to see the 29-year-old pull on the black-and-white due to injury. Meanwhile, fellow forward Nick Woltemade continues to steal the show in attack with another strong display against Benfica.

Nick Woltemade of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Arsenal at St James' Park on September 28, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Nick Woltemade of Newcastle United has been an instant success (Image credit: George Wood/Getty Images)

"It will be a really difficult decision for [Yoane] Wissa not to go to AFCON [Africa Cup of Nations] because you always want to represent your country but what I would say is, because of him not training or playing during the summer, he could've shown more responsibility in not playing as much as he did in those two games [for DR Congo] when he went away on international duty and hadn't played at all," began Shearer when speaking to Betfair recently on the matter.

"But it's really tough to say to someone they can't and won't represent their country when it means so much. And we know AFCON is huge and players want to play in that tournament.

"It'll be a tough ask, but I understand that there'll be a lot of people thinking that he's never played for Newcastle and he needs to show some loyalty towards us.

"I get it and understand that point of view because Newcastle shelled out a lot of money on him and he hasn't been able to take to the St James' Park turf as yet. It'd be a really tough decision for him and Newcastle. Whether there's a way around it, I'm not so sure."

NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 1: Yoane Wissa poses for photographs after signing for Newcastle United at the Newcastle United Training Centre on September 1, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Yoane Wissa is yet to play for Newcastle United following his summer move from Brentford (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo's view, Shearer is perhaps a tad unfair on Wissa, who will have meant no harm in trying to rush back from injury to help DR Congo qualify for the World Cup.

The former Brentford man will now, however, carry the weight of expectation placed upon his shoulders when he eventually does make his bow for Newcastle, especially given how well Woltemade has performed since he arrived at the club.

Matthew Holt

Matthew Holt writes freelance for FourFourTwo, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up.

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