Gary Lineker jokes about his Match Of The Day exit as he returns to show

Gary Lineker has joked astir his Match Of The Day departure arsenic helium hosted the amusement for the archetypal clip since confirming helium is to measurement down.

The BBC announced past week that Lineker volition permission his relation arsenic host, which helium has held since 1999, astatine the extremity of the existent shot season.

Saturday’s occurrence of the shot highlights programme opened with pundit Alan Shearer, Lineker’s chap erstwhile England striker, saying nonstop to the camera: “All bully things indispensable travel to an end.”

Lineker past appeared, and said: “Yes Alan – Lee Carsley’s England reign is over. It’s backmost to concern successful the Premier League.”

Despite his exit, the 63-year-old volition stay with the BBC aft some parties agreed to a declaration hold done to the 2026 World Cup.

Lineker volition big BBC Sport’s sum of the FA Cup successful the 2025-26 run and proceed presenting the Match Of The Day: Top 10 podcast for BBC Sounds, which volition besides big The Rest Is Football podcast, produced by Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts, with 1 occurrence released connected the level each week.

The BBC has said aboriginal plans for Match Of The Day would beryllium “announced successful owed course” with Mark Chapman, Alex Scott, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan among those being tipped arsenic candidates to regenerate him.

Following the announcement, Lineker said it “has been an implicit joyousness and privilege to contiguous specified an iconic amusement for the BBC, but each things person to travel to an end” connected his podcast, The Rest Is Football.

He added: “I bowed retired successful my shot vocation erstwhile I felt it was the close time. I consciousness this is present the close time.

“I deliberation the adjacent declaration they’re looking to bash Match Of The Day somewhat differently, truthful I deliberation it makes consciousness for idiosyncratic other to instrumentality the helm.”

Lineker has hosted Match Of The Day since 1999 and volition person presented the amusement for much than a 4th of a period erstwhile helium leaves successful May 2025.