BLACKBURN Rovers legend Alan Shearer is to be awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling.

The Premier League-winning former striker and Scotland women's manager Shelley Kerr will receive their awards at the university's graduation ceremony next week.

Shearer, who has a Blackburn road named after him, is the English Premier League's all-time record goalscorer who fired Rovers to the top-flight title in 1994-5.

Stirling was recently designated the UK's sports university of the year for 2020 by The Times.

Professor Gerry McCormac, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: "I am delighted that we will honour two outstanding individuals from the world of football at our winter graduation ceremonies.

"Alan Shearer is a man who needs no introduction - a football great who competed at the highest level for almost two decades.

"In recent years, the university has been proud to work alongside Alan in shining a light on the potential risks posed by heading in football."