Search
16 Sept 2025
Search
16 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Gary Lineker shared a joke with Alan Shearer about his Match of the Day departure as he hosted the show for the first time since the confirmation that he is to step down.
The BBC last week announced Lineker will leave the role, which he has had since 1999, at the end of the current season.
Saturday’s episode started with pundit Shearer, his fellow former England striker, saying direct to the camera: “All good things must come to an end.”
Lineker replied by quipping: “Yes Alan – Lee Carsley’s England reign is over. It’s back to business in the Premier League.”
Sorry, @alanshearer 😅#MOTD #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/UZnbZUfDD7
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 23, 2024
He then added: “Al ain’t getting the job.”
Although exiting the flagship football highlights programme, the 63-year-old will remain with the BBC after both parties agreed to a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup.
He will host BBC Sport’s coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025-26 campaign and continue presenting the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast for BBC Sounds, which will also host The Rest Is Football podcast, produced by Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts, with one episode released on the platform each week.
The BBC has said future plans for Match Of The Day will be “announced in due course”, with Mark Chapman, Alex Scott, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan among those being tipped as candidates to replace him.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
