ALAN Shearer says he was shocked by Sunderland’s decision to sack Paolo Di Canio.

The Match of the Day pundit must have been the only one.

Anyone who has watched the Italian do everything short of spontaneously combusting on the touchline this season could see it was only a matter of time before the Black Cats handed him his P45.

What is perhaps more puzzling, as Shearer also alluded to, is why the Premier League outfit gave Di Canio the job in the first place.

Here was a manager whose only other coaching job in England was with Swindon Town, where he regularly made the headlines for bust-ups with players.

He once subbed keeper Wes Foderingham after 20 minutes before publically criticising the player, as well as coming to blows with striker Leon Clarke following a defeat and allegedly breaking into his old office at Swindon three days after resigning. So, it’s fair to say he is a volatile character.

Did Sunderland really expect him to change?

In the 13 games he had in charge at the Stadium of Light, he was equally critical of his players and last Saturday fronted up to fans following defeat at West Brom.

Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband also resigned as vice-chairman of the club in protest at the ex-West Ham striker’s alleged fascist views, something Di Canio refuted.

Fans sung his praises after victory against north-east arch-rivals Newcastle went a long way to keeping them up last term.

But, such is the blinkeredness in football, they heralded him as a hero rather than seeing him for what he really is, a bully on a power trip.