Gary Lineker made a light-hearted return to free-to-air television on Saturday night, appearing as a pundit on ITV's World Cup coverage of Germany against Côte d'Ivoire in Group E. The former BBC host, who presented Match of the Day for 26 years until departing the corporation last May, kicked off his ITV appearance with a comedic cameo as a presenter.
Lineker's comedic start
Lineker began the broadcast by pretending to host the show, saying: 'Thank you very much for joining us on ITV for this one. Another day, another game, another channel.' He was promptly interrupted by presenter Laura Woods, who interjected: 'Gary, that's my job!' Lineker replied: 'Sorry, sorry. Old habits!'
The exchange set a jovial tone for the evening, with ITV playing a montage of Lineker's World Cup history, including his Golden Boot win in 1986 and involvement in the Hand of God match against Argentina.
Reflections on Kane and BBC dig
Lineker was asked about Harry Kane equalling his record of 10 World Cup goals for England after the captain scored twice against Croatia on Wednesday. 'I am not a violent man, but I did kick the door down! No, I was genuinely pleased for Harry. Obviously it's taken him an extra World Cup to do it and there is quite a lot of penalties in there, but we'll give him that,' Lineker said with a smirk.
He added: 'In all seriousness, Harry is a way better all-round No 9 than I was. I was very much a penalty box player and Harry does it all, doesn't he? He drops back, his passing range is fabulous and I think he is our best ever No 9.'
Lineker also took a playful dig at his former employer, the BBC, which is based in Salford for the World Cup, contrasting it with ITV's New York studio backdrop overlooking Brooklyn Bridge and the East River. 'I have been doing a show daily for Netflix, we're in Times Square, but I did desperately want to come and see your set. I think it's absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real. What a backdrop,' he said.
Praise for Woods and coverage
Later in the broadcast, Woods allowed Lineker to take the show into a break, but she praised his 'fabulous job' before returning focus to the World Cup action. The light-hearted nature of Lineker's appearance underscored his transition from BBC to ITV, where he now works as a pundit for the network's World Cup coverage.
