Alan Shearer made a cheeky pitch to show his credentials as a possible replacement for BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker on Saturday night.
The BBC announced in a statement last week that Lineker, 63, will leave the iconic show at the end of the season after almost 26 years at the helm.
Mark Chapman is currently considered the favorite to land the job, while Alex Scott and Kelly Cates are also said to be strong contenders.
But Newcastle United legend and former England captain Shearer, who is the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer, has almost two decades of Match of the Day experience, having been a regular pundit since he stopped playing in 2006.
Shearer and Lineker have developed a very comfortable on-screen relationship and often tease 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 when Alan Shearer said the first word.
Saturday’s broadcast of Match of the Day was the first since the news of Gary Lineker’s departure
The broadcast traditionally begins with Lineker saying 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 Shearer, 54, trying to keep a straight face.
Lineker then appeared on screen and responded sarcastically joking: ‘Yes, Alan. Lee Carsley’s reign in England is over.
‘Activity has returned in the Premier League. Seven games on the way. Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join us.”
Then Lineker comically muttered, “Al’s not going to get the job, is he?”
Shearer responded with a laugh before Lineker quickly moved on to present highlights from Tottenham’s shock 4-0 win over Manchester City.
Despite leaving the Premier League’s flagship programme, former Tottenham, Leicester and Barcelona star Lineker has agreed a one-year contract extension with the BBC to continue presenting its FA Cup and World Cup coverage until 2026.
Although according to the bookmakers he is not among the favorites to replace Lineker, Shearer would be a quite popular choice among viewers.
Shearer (left) introduced Saturday’s show by saying, “All good things must come to an end.”
Lineker, 63, will stop hosting the Saturday night show at the end of the current season
Based on a survey conducted by a market research company. Ipsos22 per cent of football fans would like to see Shearer get the job.
Chapman, who hosts the show’s sister show Match of the Day 2, received 20 percent of the votes in the poll, while Scott got 12 percent. Ten percent voted for Gabby Logan.
A secondary part of the Ipsos poll asked fans to vote on whether they preferred a male or female presenter on Match of the Day.
According to the survey, 52 percent of male voters would prefer a man to host the show, while 44 percent have no preference and four percent would favor a woman.
Meanwhile, 41 percent of women opted for a man to front the show, 48 percent voted to have no preference and nine percent were interested in seeing a woman at the helm.
Overall, the survey 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 gender of the new host.
Meanwhile, former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling has urged the BBC to be cautious about appointing Lineker’s successor, claiming that catering to a younger audience could have disastrous consequences.
The former Saturday Football presenter, who believes Match of the Day should be aimed at audiences of all ages, told The Telegraph: ‘Demographics? I have never bought things about a new demographic.
Mark Chapman (right) is currently the bookmakers’ favorite to replace Lineker, while Gabby Logan (left) has also been touted as a possible candidate.
Alex Scott is also in the frame, following her emergence as one of the BBC’s top presenters.
“It’s a desperate quest to target a younger audience, who probably aren’t interested in the show anyway, by having younger hosts, influencers and social media types.
“I never believed that was the way to go. Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve always felt that the way to attract an audience of any demographic is to make sure you offer a high-quality product.
‘If the show is being watched by mums and dads in their forties, make sure it’s good enough so that when the new generation reaches their forties it’s something they want to watch.
“If I’m going to hear someone talk about a football game, I’d rather it be someone who has played and is able to see things that people like me, standing in the stands, can’t see, rather than someone who can.” a great figure on social networks.’