Gary Lineker returned to free-to-air television on Saturday night, marking his ITV debut with a light-hearted introduction as a presenter.
Lineker, who spent 26 years hosting the BBC’s Match of the Day until his departure last May, was announced on Friday as a pundit for ITV’s coverage of the World Cup match between Germany and Côte d’Ivoire in Group E.
He kicked off his ITV appearance with a humorous moment, starting to present the show before Laura Woods playfully interrupted him. “Thank you very much for joining us on ITV for this one. Another day, another game, another channel,” he began, only to be cut off by Woods, who chimed in: “Sorry, sorry. Old habits!” Lineker responded with a chuckle, saying, “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,”
As the broadcast progressed, ITV took a nostalgic look back at Lineker’s World Cup history. The former England striker reminisced about winning the Golden Boot in 1986 and his involvement in the infamous Hand of God match against Argentina.
When asked about Harry Kane matching his record of 10 World Cup goals for England after Kane scored two against Croatia, Lineker quipped, “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.” accompanied by a smirk.
Lineker acknowledged, “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,”
He also took a playful jab at his former employer after the BBC faced scrutiny for its Salford studio location during the World Cup, contrasting it with ITV’s striking set in New York. “I think it’s absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real. What a backdrop.” Lineker remarked. “I think it’s absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real. What a backdrop.”
Woods allowed Lineker to segue the show into a break, and he complimented her on the “fabulous job” she was doing, before the focus shifted back to the World Cup matches.
