Alan Shearer: Euro 2012 is a stepping stone

Alan Shearer believes that the next England manager should use this summer's European Championships to prepare for World Cup 2014.

The former Three Lions and Newcastle United captain believes that a long-term replacement for Fabio Capello must be installed before Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

"Just because Capello has gone and a new one [is set to come in], it's not all rosy. England will probably not win the Euros," he told BBC News.

"If we can use that [Euro 2012] as a stepping stone for the new manager to feel his way in, to do very well, to get a feelgood factor right, then look to Rio two years after that. That can be the test for us.

"Do we ever go into a tournament with great preparation? There always seems to be something.

"It looks bad, but give it a month of two when someone has been appointed. I think things will have calmed down."

Shearer scored 30 goals in 63 caps for his country between 1992 and 2000.