Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan is keen to rekindle his 'fantastic relationship' with Alan Shearer after breaking an 18-month silence between the duo.

Shearer revealed yesterday that he has spoken with Keegan about a role on The Magpies coaching staff. The pair spoke briefly on Friday for the first time since Keegan agreed to take the St James' Park job for a second time.

However, Keegan has admitted that the duo's relationship diminished following a fall-out in the summer of 2006.

Keegan, who signed Shearer for £15million from Blackburn Rovers in July 1996 during his first stint as Newcastle boss, offended the former striker after he failed to attend his testimonial against Celtic.

But Keegan is ready to end the 18-month rift which has seen the once close duo rarely contact each other.

"I would like to think there is no animosity there but if you are asking me if Alan rings me as much as he used to, then no he doesn't," he said. "I couldn't come to Alan's testimonial as I was on a family holiday in the US and I didn't come back for it.

"Things like that, sadly, may have affected him. But it hasn't affected me and I want to talk with Alan. It is possibly true that it did offend him in some way. But flying all the way from America is something I would not have expected him to do for me.

"If that is the reason he doesn't ring me anymore, then that disappoints me. But I will ring him and ask him. I would like to think we are great friends - from the minute I met him and signed him in David Platt's farmhouse in Cheshire. We had a fantastic relationship and a very honest one.

"There is an involvement for Alan at this football club. That involvement at the moment could be on his terms. I know he would be a fantastic person to have around the club and help people in the art of goal-scoring and finishing - and just talking to the players.

"If he cannot be there on Saturday because he has television work then he can't even think of himself as a No.2. But I will probably say: 'I am here now, do you see any role for yourself?'

"That would be the sensible approach but Alan and I need to have that conversation."

Keegan went on to discuss whether he sees the potential appointment of Shearer as a way of grooming the 37-year-old for the manager's job on Tyneside.

"People talk about Alan being my successor and if you ask the Geordie public they will say yes to that," he continued. "I had a conversation with Alan about management and the manager's job at Newcastle. I said to him, 'It will come for you one day, you don't have to go looking for it'."