Gary Lineker tells his Match of the Day colleague that he was his No. 1 choice for the show

Gary Lineker has revealed to Micah Richards that he was the first choice to join him and Alan Shearer on his podcast The Rest Is Football. In Monday's episode, as they discussed whether Lee Carsley felt like the FA's first choice for the England manager's job, Richards joked: “It feels like that pod, right? [Ian Wright] was your first choice and I was your second choice,” prompting Lineker to respond, “Well, you know, it happens. Yeah.”

Richards chimed in: “Sometimes that happens. It's what you do with your opportunity, and it wasn't?” Lineker, in a serious tone, then said: “Can I say Micah? Can I say that for this podcast, The Rest It's football, you were the first choice”, which caused people to erupt in joy Richards.

Lineker clarified: “I think you're going back to the Match of the Day top 10 when Wrighty was.” He quickly continued his jokes, adding: “I mean, Wrighty obviously wasn't available anyway,” before the three pundits shared a laugh, the Mirror reports.

The trio, regular faces of MOTD, forged a strong bond both professionally and personally, leading them to launch The Rest Is Football podcast in August last year. As of October 2024, the podcast now has over 200 episodes and shows no signs of stopping.

Speculation is growing that the BBC could be considering replacing Lineker as the face of Match of the Day, following a leaked email suggesting the former Tottenham and Leicester frontman would leave the iconic series. Since 1999, Lineker has been at the helm, but with his £1.35 million contract ending after the current Premier League season, it is unclear whether he will stay after that.

However, it turns out the speculation might be off base. A spokesperson for the program clarified the situation, saying: “We have nothing to announce and have not agreed on next steps regarding his contract. He is under contract until the end of the season.”

Facing the rumors with his usual spirit, Lineker humorously announced on the show that it was his “last show… before the international break” at the beginning of the month. Addressing the rumors head-on during The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Shearer and Richards, Lineker shared: “It's been a strange few days. As you know, as Trent [Alexander-Arnold]like Virgil [van Dijk]like Mo [Salah]I'm coming to the end of my contract this summer.

“It's natural at some point that you have to have conversations and they've just started. I don't know why everything got out of control, but it's all good.” Speculation is rife over who will take the presenting seat, with names like MOTD2's Mark Chapman in the mix, while Jermaine Jenas' chances have diminished following his removal from the BBC.

Richards was tipped at odds of “4/1” to be the new face of the show, prompting Lineker to voice his support on their podcast: “4/1? Damn. I'd love to see you take over Micah, I think you'd be great in that chair.” However, Lineker couldn't resist a playful jab at Richards, joking: “I told them with your eyesight, you will never be able to read an automatic cue.”