Alan Shearer rules himself out of hosting Match Of The Day

BBC pundit Alan Shearer has ruled himself out of taking over from Gary Lineker as the host of Match Of The Day.

The former England striker, 54, is a regular on the BBC football highlights programme and also presents podcast The Rest Is Football with Lineker and ex-Manchester City player Micah Richards.

The BBC announced this month that Lineker will leave MOTD at the end of the season, but will continue to front coverage of the FA Cup in 2025/26 and the World Cup in 2026.

Shearer recounted on the podcast with Lineker how he opened Saturday’s episode of MOTD by doing a piece to camera, saying: “All good things must come to an end” in a light-hearted skit.

“By the way, I was so nervous, because we’d only decided to do that a minute or two before we went on air,” Shearer said on The Rest Is Football.

“I only had to say eight words, and I was shitting myself. I’ve got a new respect for presenters.”

He added that he was worried about looking a “right idiot”, and he was “sweating” on the podcast just thinking about the moment.

Told by Lineker he has high poll odds of taking over MOTD, Shearer replied: “No, I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing so I’ll leave that to the experts.”

Shearer is also a member of the BBC’s Football Focus line-up, and appears on a panel for the corporation’s FA and World Cup coverage.

The Rest is Football will begin airing on BBC Sounds from November 27 after being uploaded elsewhere in an initial one-year licensing deal with Lineker’s co-founded company Goalhanger.

Mark Chapman, Alex Scott, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan are among those being tipped as candidates to replace Lineker on MOTD.

On Monday, Logan, Scott and Clare Balding were announced as hosts of this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Last year marked Lineker’s final time hosting the ceremony, when he shared the stage with Balding, Logan and Scott, after more than two decades in the role.