Alan Shearer breaks silence on Match of the Day future after Gary Lineker’s emotional BBC exit
ALAN SHEARER has opened up on Gary Lineker’s emotional Match of the Day exit – and his own future on the show.
Lineker, 64, signed off from his role as MOTD host after 26 years on Sunday night.
The England legend revealed his intention to quit from the Beeb show back in November.
But his exit was overshadowed by an antisemitism storm, which saw Lineker step away from the BBC completely.
Shearer, 54, made his BBC punditry debut back in 2006 and has worked alongside Lineker ever since.
Shearer told The Daily Mail: “He got a really emotional send off on Sunday, and one he deserved.
“He’s a brilliant broadcaster, and he’s a great friend of mine, and we will all miss him.”
The Toon icon confirmed he will continue to appear on the iconic BBC show.
Shearer and Lineker are also set to carry on with their hit podcast The Rest Is Football.
They are joined on the pod by Micah Richards, another popular Beeb pundit.
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Shearer admits Lineker’s farewell didn’t hit too hard – as they’ve already recorded two more episodes since.
The Newcastle legend continued: “It’s different for myself and Micah, because it’s not as if we’re not ever going to see him again.
“I mean, we’ve done two recordings of our podcast as well, so we’re still going to be sort of working together.”
Lineker’s production company Goalhanger Productions are reportedly in talks with DAZN ahead of the summer.
The discussions are based around “launching shows featuring MOTD-style match clips of the Club World Cup.”
TV insiders also believe Lineker moving to a rival such as ITV or Sky Sports is “highly unlikely.”
Lineker faced a huge backlash after he re-posted a video earlier this month which criticised Zionism and included an illustration of a rat.
I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye
Gary Lineker
The Three Lions legend agreed to leave the BBC for good and apologised unreservedly.
Lineker was given a seven-minute tribute during his final Match of the Day broadcast
Tearing up, he added: “It’s been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It’s been utterly joyous.
“I’d like to wish Gabby [Logan], Mark [Chapman], and Kelly [Cates] all the best when they sit in the chair.
“The programme is in the best of hands. My final thank you goes to all of you. Thank you for watching.
“Thank you for all your love and support over the years. It’s been so special.
“I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye.”