London - Newcastle United were set to confirm reports on Wednesday that their former striker Alan Shearer will become the team's new manager until the end of the season.

With Joe Kinnear still recovering from heart surgery, the 38-year-old will take the reins until May, leaving him eight games to help the side to avoid relegation from the English Premier League.

In the past, Shearer, who works as a television pundit, has rejected the chance to move into management, turning down the opportunity to work alongside Kevin Keegan at the club last September.

When Keegan left the club earlier this season, the former England captain was again linked with a return but only now has he agreed to come back to help the club.

Newcastle lie third from bottom in the league, with just 29 points from 30 matches and face a real struggle for survival.

News of his expected appointment was greeted with surprise by many in the game, but former Newcastle chairman Sir John Hall told the BBC that Shearer may be the last chance for the club to get out of trouble.

"I've always felt Alan was the only man at this moment in time who could manage Newcastle," he said. "He's a bit like Keegan, when we took him back 20 years ago. Keegan always had the magic touch and I think Alan's the same."

One of Shearer's team-mates when he was at Blackburn Rovers, Kevin Gallagher, said the players would respond to him.

"It's a surprise appointment - it's thrown me a googly to say the least," he admitted. "(But) players always need a leader and now Alan's there he'll command the respect of the players.

"He has eight games to pick them up, starting with Chelsea (on Saturday), and that's a tough order. The fans will be out celebrating as soon as they hear the news. Alan is so high on the pedestal at Newcastle." (dpa)