Share
18th August 2025
09:08am BST
Gary Lineker has reflected on Match of the Day as a viewer rather than a presenter for the first time in over 25 years, and couldn’t resist a small dig at his former employer.
Lineker signed off from the BBC’s flagship football programme in May, and has been replaced by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates on a rotating basis.
The first show was hosted by Mark Chapman on Saturday, and Lineker told the Rest is Football Podcast that despite the grand plans his former boss and BBC Head of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski had, the show remained much the same.
“I must say I enjoyed it. I went out for dinner, then I came home, got in in time to watch it. I thought it was really good, Chappers did a great job.
“There was a lot of talk they were going to change things. You know what it’s like, you get a new guy in, a new Head of Sport thinking he wants to do this, wants to do that. But in the end, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and I think that was very much the sensible decision, and I thought the programme was great.
“I thought Wayne Rooney did really well, as well as yourself Alan. Some good analysis in there.
“It was so nice watching it holding a glass of wine.
“It wasn’t weird really. I was quite relaxed. I was thinking I haven’t got a three-and-a-half hour journey at the end of this show!”
Opening the show on Saturday, Chapman started with his own quip, saying: “The Premier League is back and Match of the Day is back. You may have seen and heard there’s a big change to the show this season, and that is that Wayne Rooney has joined is us as a regular pundit.
“Some things don’t change though, and Alan (Shearer) is still here.”
Explore more on these topics:
