Micah Richards shares what Alan Shearer texted him after Newcastle takeover went through

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It’s been an exciting week at Newcastle United in wake of the club’s long-awaited takeover.

After 14 years of Mike Ashley in charge, the Magpies are now under the ownership of a Saudi-led consortium.

The consortium consists of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), financier Amanda Staveley, and David and Simon Reuben.

The PIF – worth an alleged £700bn – has taken an 80 percent stake in Newcastle after the Premier League finally approved a deal which had originally been agreed early last year.

Effectively, this makes Newcastle the richest football club in the world.

Toon Army fans celebrated after news of the takeover was confirmed, and over the past week, there have been plenty of links with high-calibre players, managers and boardroom figures.

Newcastle have been a mediocre club on the pitch for over a decade, merely making up the numbers in the Premier League and even going down twice.

But now, with the weight of the PIF behind them, the Magpies can begin their journey to becoming a superpower of English and European football.

Tyneside legend Alan Shearer was one of the first high-profile football figures to comment on the takeover.

And fellow BBC Sport pundit Micah Richards, writing in the Daily Mail, revealed what Shearer replied to him after asking about his thoughts.

“If Newcastle win, everything is good. If they lose, forget about it,” wrote Richards.

“His mood is dictated by the fortunes of the club he adores.

“So on the day the club’s takeover went through I sent him a message to see how he was doing.

“He replied, simply, with a stream of smiley face emojis.”

Newcastle’s first game following their takeover will take place on Sunday when they host Spurs in the Premier League.

The club has confirmed that Steve Bruce will be in charge of the game – his 1000th professional football match as a manager.