Alan Shearer breaks Match of the Day tradition in bid to replace Gary Lineker as host

The cheeky exchange between the two long-time colleagues highlighted the growing speculation about who will take over the iconic highlights programme when Lineker steps down at the end of the season after nearly 26 years at the helm.

Shearer opened the show with a pointed statement: "All good things must come to an end," whilst trying to maintain a straight face.

Lineker's response was swift and sarcastic: "Yes, Alan. Lee Carsley's England reign is over."

After introducing the evening's Premier League coverage with co-presenters Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams, Lineker couldn't resist a final jab.

Under his breath, he comically muttered: "Al ain't getting the job, is he?"

The exchange drew laughter from Shearer before Lineker moved on to introduce highlights of Tottenham's 4-0 victory over Manchester City.

According to a recent Ipsos poll, Shearer has significant support among football fans, with 22 per cent backing him to take over as Match of the Day host.

Current favourite Mark Chapman, who presents Match of the Day 2, received 20 per cent of votes in the same poll.

BBC presenter Alex Scott garnered 12 per cent support, while Gabby Logan received 10 per cent.

The poll also revealed interesting gender preferences, with 48 per cent of football fans overall preferring a male presenter, while 45 per cent expressed no gender preference for the new host.

Only a small minority specifically favoured a female presenter, with four per cent of male voters and nine per cent of female voters expressing this preference.

Despite leaving Match of the Day, Lineker will maintain his presence on BBC screens, having agreed a one-year contract extension to host FA Cup and World Cup coverage until 2026.

Former Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling has urged caution in selecting Lineker's replacement.

"It's a forlorn pursuit to look for a younger audience, that probably aren't interested in the programme anyway, by having younger presenters, influencers, social-media types," Stelling told The Telegraph.

He emphasised the importance of quality over demographics, adding: "If the programme is watched by mums and dads in their forties, make sure it is good enough so that when the new generation reach their forties it is something they want to watch."