Keith Gillespie has lifted the lid on what really happened the day Alan Shearer knocked him out on a Newcastle team trip to Dublin.

The incident in 1997 caused shockwaves as Shearer was then England captain, and as such was expected to uphold the highest standards of behaviour both on and off the pitch.

But Shearer punched Gillespie in full daylight and in front of a posse of Sunday shoppers during a supposed team bonding trip to Ireland.

The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland winger reveals the full story in his new autobiography, How Not to be a Millionaire Footballer, which is being serialised in The Mirror.

'I was in giddy form and flicking bottle tops in the direction of of other players.

'Shearer was struck by a couple and getting wound up, which I found enjoyable, so I made him my target and tension brewed. It came to a head when I clumsily knocked some cutlery off the table.

'"F****** pick it up!" Shearer snapped.

'I thought he was talking to me like a small boy and shouted back. Red mist descended. We had a bit of a row and, for some reason, I asked him if he wanted to taker it outside. Madness.

'We emerged to a busy street. I took a swing at Shearer, but I was punch-drunk and inaccurate. He responded with as blow that sent me flying against a plant pot. I cracked my head and entered the blackout zone.

'The next thing I remember is the view from the hospital bed.'