Former England captain and all time leading EPL goal-scorer Alan Shearer says he is "deeply honoured" to be awarded an honorary doctorate at Stirling University.

The Newcastle United legend was at the uni to receive his accolade alongside Scotland boss Shelley Kerr who says she was "absolutely thrilled" to be recognised.

Shearer, who won the English Premier League with Blackburn in 1995 and Golden Boot at Euro 96, was recognised for his outstanding contribution to football and dementia awareness.

In 2017 the Match Of The Day host fronted a documentary called 'Alan Shearer: Dementia, Football and Me', investigating the risks posed by heading in football.

Experts from the University of Stirling were at the centre of the documentary

The 49-year-old, who was the most expensive footballer in the world after costing Newcastle £15m in 1996, said: "I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious recognition from the University of Stirling - and accept it on behalf of the team I worked with on the recent work exploring the risks posed by heading footballs.

"I am passionate about this vitally important area of research and delighted to see Stirling leading the way in attempting to address the concerns of the football community."

He added: "I would like to congratulate all of those graduating from the University of Stirling today - it is great to see their hard work and dedication rewarded and I have enjoyed celebrating alongside them. I wish them all the best as they move on to the next chapter of their lives."

Kerr, who managed Scotland Women's National Team to their first ever FIFA World Cup earlier this year, graduated with an MSc Sport Management from Stirling in 2016.

She said: "It's a great honour to be the recipient of this award. My time at Stirling was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in my personal journey to date.

"The University prides itself in developing people, sporting excellence, equality and diversity and it was a privilege to be offered a unique opportunity to excel in academia and sport. The University's forward-thinking epitomises its core values - and I'm absolutely thrilled to be an ambassador for the students.

"This is a very special moment and humbling to be honoured at an educational establishment that has played a major role in my career development."

The recognition comes just weeks after Stirling was crowned UK Sports University of the Year 2020, complementing its existing status as Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence.