Recently, this column reflected on the moment that Blackburn Rovers parted with a British-record £5m to sign Chris Sutton from Norwich City.
We told how Sutton went on to form one of the Premier League's most clinical goalscoring partnerships with Alan Shearer, who arrived at Ewood Park from Southampton 23 years ago today.
Like Sutton, Rovers were forced to break the transfer record - £3.3m - to capture the 21-year-old, but unlike Sutton, Shearer was yet to have truly shown his credentials at the highest level.
After all, while his goal return of 23 goals in 118 league appearances was respectable, it was hardly one that got pulses racing. Yet, he was viewed by many as England's replacement for Gary Lineker and the belief was that with a better midfield than Southampton's loading the bullets behind him, Shearer would find the net on a more frequent basis.
Following his first 90 minutes in a Rovers shirt, that school of thought was proven to be correct. In a 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Blackburn's new striker found the net on two occasions with efforts from distance.
Speaking after that match, he said: "I knew the eyes were on me and it was a big pressurised situation because I was expected to deliver."
A further 20 goals in all competitions followed, before his first season at Ewood Park was ended by a cruciate ligament injury suffered in December 1992.
Yet, while that is a complaint that has hampered many careers over the years, Shearer returned for the following campaign in even better form. In each of the three seasons that followed, his goal return read: 34, 37 and 37.
The first of that 37-goal haul came during the 1994-95 campaign when, with Sutton contributing 15 alongside him, Shearer helped fire Rovers to a first league title since 1914. Unsurprisingly, those exploits saw Shearer voted the PFA Player's Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.
All good things must come to an end, though, and it was in the summer of 1996 that Geordie-born Shearer found the lure of playing for his boyhood club Newcastle United too strong to resist, despite strong interest from champions Manchester United. Once again Shearer's serviced commanded a record fee - on this occasion £15m.
In total, the centre-forward fired in a highly impressive 130 goals during his 171 outings in Blackburn colours.
Reflecting more recently on his time at Blackburn with the Press Association Sport, he said: "It's an incredible story where Blackburn came from. To come from the old Second Division into the Premier League and take on the big boys - Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal - and beat them as we did.
"To have won the Premier League within three years of being in the Premier League is a staggering achievement and I don't think that will ever be done again."
Liam Apicella
