However, the Toon Army had little chance to celebrate over the weekend as the antics of Bowyer and Dyer added insult to the injury of losing 3-0 to Aston Villa.

“Once again the good name of Newcastle United is being dragged through the dirt,” Shearer told The Sun.

“What happened was a disgrace, there is no defence for it and I made my feelings known in the dressing room.

“I’m very angry still and very frustrated by it all, especially when things had been going so well and the spirit within the camp has been so good over the last few months.”

It is not the first time Newcastle have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons this season.

Dyer had already courted controversy following a row with Bobby Robson after he felt he was being played out of position, while Craig Bellamy was shipped out to Celtic after branding current boss Graeme Souness a liar.

“Our dirty linen has been hung out for the country to witness yet again,” Shearer added.

The 34-year-old striker also revealed it was he who suggested Bowyer and Dyer should appear at Newcastle’s post-match press conference to apologise for their actions.

“It was my idea as soon as I got back into the dressing room to get the two players themselves to answer to the media,” said Shearer.

“I said: ‘You two had better get out there because neither me nor the gaffer are going to do your talking’. To be fair to them, they agreed because they knew they had to do it.”