Alan Shearer Hits Back at “Irrelevant” Liverpool Chief’s Brutal Yoane Wissa Remark

Former Premier League great Alan Shearer has not held back in responding to a controversial comment made by a senior figure at Liverpool F.C. regarding Yoane Wissa, sending ripples through English football’s back-pages.

The situation stems from Wissa’s summer transfer saga and the broader context of player-club relationships, loyalty and professionalism. Wissa, formerly of Brentford F.C., has been the subject of interest as clubs attempt to sign him. Meanwhile, a so-called “Liverpool chief” made a brutal remark about him, mocking his professional commitment and branding him as “irrelevant” for making demands or delaying his debut, or similar language (the exact phrasing has been glossed over in reportage). In short: the Liverpool insider sought to diminish Wissa’s status and questioned his worth or relevance.

Shearer, always one to speak his mind, intervened. His counter-attack was two-fold: first, he defended professional standards of players, arguing that even if they make mistakes or demand moves, they should not be dismissed with belittling commentary from club officials or rival sides. Second, he rebuked the arrogance implicit in writing off Wissa as “irrelevant” simply because of his current situation or delayed impact. As Shearer told one outlet: “I don’t like players refusing to play … whether that’s Isak or Wissa. … It’s not a good look.”

In his view, the comment from the Liverpool hierarchy was not only unhelpful but misguided. Shearer noted that clubs often talk about loyalty, contract fulfilment and respect — yet here was a club figure apparently undermining a player’s value publicly. He described such behaviour as “a really bad look for football and for the fans” when clubs or chiefs dump on players, who are still under contract and being paid.

Beyond the headline, the larger underlying narrative is about how modern football handles player-power, club expectations and the media. Shearer decries the scenario where a player might push for a move or take decisions (e.g., skipping some club duty, choosing country over club) yet is subject to public shaming by rival clubs’ managements. He argued that if a club wants to sell a player, fine — but then treat the matter politely and professionally, not with sidelining insults.

Wissa’s case is cast in this frame: he is a talented forward whose move did not go smoothly, whose fitness or availability is in question, and who faces pressure to justify his transfer. The Liverpool chief’s remark arguably added to that pressure, and Shearer’s hit-back is not just about Wissa, but about where the sport is going in terms of respect and behaviour.

For Liverpool, the remark may backfire. Club officials must balance competitiveness with dignity, and the optics of a top club chief calling a player “irrelevant” will not sit well with neutrals or with player-representatives. Shearer’s intervention highlights that even legends expect higher standards of discourse.

Ultimately, the message from Shearer is clear: players, even when in dispute or underperforming, deserve a baseline of respect; and clubs, no matter their status, should refrain from demeaning remarks that undermine the spirit of the game. The Wissa saga, and the “irrelevant” comment, may end up being a small footnote — but the principle Shearer defends could resonate far beyond this one case.