- Gary Lineker will stop presenting BBC Match of the Day at the end of the season
- Twenty-two per cent of fans would like to see Alan Shearer replace Lineker
- Will Ruben Amorim be Man United’s saviour? LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday
Alan Shearer made a cheeky pitch to show off his credentials as a potential replacement for BBC Match of the Day host Gary Lineker on Saturday night.
The BBC announced in a statement last week that Lineker, 63, will leave the iconic highlights show at the end of the season after almost 26 years at the helm.
Mark Chapman is currently rated as the favourite to get the gig, while Alex Scott and Kelly Cates are also said to be strong contenders.
But Newcastle United legend and ex-England captain Shearer – who is the Premier League‘s all-time leading goalscorer – has almost two decades of experience on Match of the Day, having been a regular pundit since he stopped playing in 2006.
Shearer and Lineker have developed a very comfortable on-screen relationship and often mock each other with friendly banter.
Saturday’s edition of Match of the Day was the first show since it was announced that Lineker would be leaving at the end of the season.
Match of the Day tradition was broken on Saturday night as Alan Shearer had the first word
Saturday’s broadcast of Match of the Day was the first since the news of Gary Lineker’s exit
The broadcast traditionally begins with Lineker having the first word but it was Shearer who introduced Saturday’s show with an eight-word statement.
‘All good things must come to an end,’ said 54-year-old Shearer, trying to keep a straight face.
Lineker then appeared on screen and replied by sarcastically quipping: ‘Yes, Alan. Lee Carsley’s England reign is over.
‘It’s back to business in the Premier League. Seven games on the way. Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join us.’
Under his breath, Lineker then comically muttered: ‘Al ain’t getting the job, is he?’
Shearer responded by laughing before Lineker swiftly moved on by introducing highlights of Tottenham’s shock 4-0 win over Manchester City.
Despite leaving the flagship Premier League highlights show, ex-Tottenham, Leicester and Barcelona star Lineker has agreed a one-year contract extension with the BBC to continue hosting their FA Cup and World Cup coverage until 2026.
Although he is not among the favourites to replace Lineker according to the bookmakers, Shearer would be a fairly popular choice among viewers.
Shearer (left) introduced Saturday’s show by saying: ‘All good things must come to an end’
Lineker, 63, will stop presenting the Saturday night show at the end of the current season
Based on a poll carried out by market research company Ipsos, 22 per cent of football fans would like to see Shearer get the gig.
Chapman, who hosts the highlights show’s sister programme Match of the Day 2, received 20 per cent of the votes in the poll, while Scott got 12 per cent. Ten per cent voted for Gabby Logan.
A secondary part of the Ipsos poll asked fans to vote whether they would prefer a male or female presenter on Match of the Day.
According to the poll, 52 per cent of male voters would prefer to see a man host the programme, while 44 per cent have no preference and four per cent would favour a female host.
Meanwhile, 41 per cent of women opted in favour of a man fronting the show, with 48 per cent voting no preference and nine per cent keen to see a woman at the helm.
Overall, the poll found that almost half (48 per cent) of football fans would prefer a man to replace Lineker – while a similar proportion (45 per cent) said they ultimately did not care about the gender of the new host.
Meanwhile, former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling has urged the BBC to be cautious with their appointment of Lineker’s successor, claiming that catering to a younger audience could have disastrous consequences.
The ex-Soccer Saturday host, who believes Match of the Day should be targeted towards audiences of all ages, told The Telegraph: ‘Demographics? I’ve never bought the stuff about a new demographic.
Mark Chapman (right) is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Lineker, while Gabby Logan (left) has also been touted as a potential candidate
Alex Scott is in the frame as well, following her emergence as one of the BBC’s top presenters
‘It’s a forlorn pursuit to look for a younger audience, that probably aren’t interested in the programme anyway, by having younger presenters, influencers, social-media types.
‘I’ve never believed that was the way forward. Call me old fashioned, but I’ve always felt the way to attract an audience of any demographic is to make sure you put out a high-quality product.
‘If the programme is watched by mums and dads in their forties, make sure it is good enough so that when the new generation reach their forties it is something they want to watch.
‘If I’m going to hear somebody talking about a football match, I’d rather it was somebody who had played the game and is able to see things people like me standing on the terraces can’t see, rather than someone who is a big figure on social media.’