Watch the moment Alan Shearer makes his pitch to replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host with cheeky eight-word quip, as legendary presenter appears on BBC’s iconic show for first time since announcing he is stepping down

Alan Shearer made a cheeky pitch on Saturday evening to show off his qualities as a potential replacement for BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.

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 favorite 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 – the Premier League’s all-time top scorer – has almost two decades of Match of the Day experience and has been a regular pundit since retiring from playing in 2006.

Shearer and Lineker have developed a very comfortable on-screen relationship, often mocking 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.

The Saturday broadcast of Match of the Day was the first since the news of Gary Lineker’s departure

The broadcast traditionally starts 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,” Shearer, 54, said, trying to keep a straight face.

Lineker then appeared on screen and sarcastically replied: ‘Yes, Alan. Lee Carsley’s English reign is over.

‘It’s back to business in the Premier League. Seven games on the road. Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams are joining us.”

Under his breath, Lineker then muttered comically: “Even if he doesn’t get the job, does he?”

Shearer responded by laughing before Lineker quickly moved on to introducing highlights from Tottenham’s shock 4-0 win over Manchester City.

Despite leaving the Premier League highlights, ex-Tottenham, Leicester and Barcelona star Lineker has agreed a one-year contract extension with the BBC to continue providing their FA Cup and World Cup coverage until 2026.

Although he is not among the favorites 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’

The 63-year-old Lineker will stop presenting the Saturday evening show at the end of the current season

Based on a survey conducted by a market research agency Ipsos22 percent of football fans would like to see Shearer get the gig.

Chapman, host of the highlights show’s sister program Match of the Day 2, received 20 percent of the vote in the poll, while Scott received 12 percent. Ten percent voted for Gabby Logan.

In a secondary part of the Ipsos poll, fans were asked to vote on whether they would prefer a male or female presenter on Match of the Day.

According to the poll, 52 percent of male voters would prefer a man to present the program, while 44 percent have no preference and four percent would prefer a female presenter.

Meanwhile, 41 percent of women chose a man to front the show, while 48 percent had no preference and nine percent would like to see a woman at the helm.

Overall, the poll found that almost half (48 percent) of football fans would prefer a man to replace Lineker, while a similar percentage (45 percent) said the gender of the new presenter would ultimately not matter to them. could care less.

Meanwhile, former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling has urged the BBC to be cautious in appointing Lineker’s successor, claiming catering to a younger audience could have disastrous consequences.

Saturday’s ex-footballer, who believes Match of the Day should target an audience of all ages, told The Telegraph: ‘Demographics? I’ve never bought anything about a new demographic.

Mark Chapman (right) is currently the bookmakers’ favorite to replace Lineker, while Gabby Logan (left) is also touted as a potential candidate

Alex Scott is also in the picture, following her emergence as one of the BBC’s top presenters

‘It’s a hopeless quest to find a younger audience, who probably won’t be interested in the program anyway, by having younger presenters, influencers and social media types.

‘I never believed this was the way forward. Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always felt that the way to attract an audience of any demographic is to ensure you’re putting out a high-quality product.

‘If the program is being watched by mums and dads in their forties, make sure it’s good enough so that the new generation in their forties will want to watch it too.

‘When I hear someone talking about a football match, I would rather it be someone who has played the game and can see things that people like me, standing on the terraces, cannot see, than someone who does. a big figure on social media.’