FURIOUS Blackburn Rovers chairman Rob Coar has slammed reports linking Tim Flowers with a £4 million move to big-spending Newcastle United.

Several national newspapers today said the England goalkeeper is poised to follow in Alan Shearer's footsteps to St James's Park.

But Mr Coar blasted: "Yet again it's another figment of the tabloids' imagination. There is simply no truth in the story whatsoever.

"We have had absolutely no contact with Newcastle and, in any event, Tim Flowers is simply NOT for sale.

"Tim signed a new, long-term contract in the summer and he has committed himself to Blackburn Rovers."

The Rovers chairman, clearly fuming at the inaccuracy of the articles, added: "The bottom line is that the national newspapers have nothing to write about this week.

"There is no Premiership programme at the weekend so they just invent a story.

"It was Ravanelli yesterday and it's Tim Flowers today. Who will it be on Friday? Tim Flowers is not leaving Blackburn for Newcastle."

Flowers arrived at Ewood Park from Southampton in November 1993 and his brilliant form proved major factor in bringing the Premiership crown to Ewood Park in 1995. Keegan has spent a staggering £50m at St James's in an attempt to buy the title and smashed the world transfer record in the summer when he took Shearer to Tyneside in the £15 million move.

Keegan, though, is in the market for a goalkeeper after Czech star Pavel Srnicek's alarming display in Monday's 4-3 win over Aston Villa.

St James's sources say that the Magpies chief is worried about the consistency of the erratic Srnicek and back-up goalkeeper Shaka Hislop who was this week linked with a move to Wolves.

Meanwhile, Flowers' England team-mate Graeme Le Saux took another step towards a full first team return when he played 80 minutes of last night's Pontins League game at Nottingham Forest.

Rovers clocked up an impressive 2-0 win with goals from Niklas Gudmundsson and James Beattie.

Coach Terry Darracott said: "This was Graeme's third game and he's getting stronger all the time.

"He's making great progress and has done very well in such a short space of time. Providing he has no reaction before the weekend he will play against Everton Reserves at Ewood on Saturday."

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