Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Liam James

Gary Lineker news: Match of the Day star says ‘great to be here’ as he returns to BBC

Gary Lineker/Twitter
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer return to television after BBC row

Gary Lineker said it was “great to be here” as he returned to the BBC after he was forced off-air last week in a scandal over his comparison of the government to the Nazis over its use of language regarding asylum seekers.

The Match of the Day star returned to the screen to present live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley this evening, having been suspended last week over his comments.

As the pre-match coverage began, Mr Lineker’s co-presenter Alan Shearer addressed the row, saying “how upset we were about all the audiences who missed out” after Match of the Day went ahead with no presenters.

He went on: “It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned. Through no fault of their own some really great people in TV and radio were put in impossible situations and that wasn’t fair.

“It’s good to get back to normality and talk about football again.”

Mr Linker said: “I echo those sentiments.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.