Alan Shearer fears his career might have ended three matches early after he came off with a knee injury during Newcastle United's 4-1 win at Sunderland.

"It doesn't look good. They think there might be a tear in the medial ligament," said the 35-year-old former England captain, who is due to retire at the end of the season.

"And if that is the case then that'll be it for me I'm afraid," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Shearer, who contributed to the Premier League victory with a penalty, said he would undergo a scan on Thursday.

"Obviously, it's a concern. It's not a bad way to go out if it is (the last match)," Shearer told Sky Sports as he contemplated the possibility of not playing again.

"I've been waiting five or six years for a penalty against this lot because I missed my last one against Sunderland."

Newcastle have three games to go and Shearer hoped to bow out in the last at home against Chelsea on May 7th.

Shearer's record 206th goal for Newcastle, a 61st minute penalty, put his team 2-1 up. One down at the break after a poor first-half performance, they rallied with four goals in the last half hour. They are seventh with 51 points from 35 games.

"It was a tremendous turnaround because we were rubbish in first half," said Shearer.

Newcastle's caretaker manager Glenn Roeder said: "Alan was despondent with the injury after the game, but it is a measure of the man that he took time out to congratulate every single player on the performance in the second half."