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Paul Clarke

Gary Lineker's cheeky 'Michael Owen derby' quip as Alan Shearer and Ian Wright fight back laughs

It wouldn't be Match of the Day without Gary Lineker providing a joke on air at the expense of his pundits on the show.

Saturday night was no different as the former England star produced a sublime quip ahead of introducing highlights of Liverpool's match against Newcastle United.

The Reds won the contest 3-1 thanks to goals from Sadio Mane (twice) and Mohamed Salah which cancelled out the Magpies' stunning opener from Jetro Williams.

But the joke had nothing to do with the encounter itself and all to do with a feud between Michael Owen and MOTD pundit Alan Shearer.

Shearer and Owen have been at odds for years and it was reignited after the latter discussed his time at Newcastle in his new book 'Reboot'.

Presenting the coverage, Lineker quipped: “It’s now time for the Michael Owen derby, as Liverpool take on Newcastle.”

Host Gary Lineker with Alan Shearer and Ian Wrigth on Match of the Day (BBC / Guy Levy)

The joke was well received by fellow pundit Ian Wright, who only just stopped himself from bursting out into laughter at the expense of Shearer.

It's safe to say the Newcastle legend also found the joke funny after giving a wry smile to the camera.

Owen was managed by Shearer briefly during his time at St James' Park, with the Magpies relegated from the Premier League during that specific season. Owen says the two still share a feud to this day.

Writing in his book, Owen explained: “It’s sad that my feud with Alan Shearer rumbles on to this day – we used to be good mates,” he said.

"As I’ve been at pains to mention throughout this book, as far as I’m concerned, my relationship with him throughout my time at Newcastle was great.

"At no time did I get the impression that he saw things any differently. To put it simply, there has been a lot of lies, bulls*** and general misinformation surrounding the end of my time at Newcastle.

“The more I think about it, the more I understand why Alan behaves the way he does and continues to spread negativity about me whenever he can.

"He was brought in at St James’ Park as the saviour, the local boy. It could have been a great story. But he failed. Newcastle United were relegated."

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