It was a welcome return to the World Cup screen for Lineker, who was alongside ITV’s regular pundits and host Laura Woods. However, given it’s been some time since Lineker was last on a public broadcast, he admitted to almost breaking a cardinal sin live on air.
Reacting to his cameo on Sunday’s The Rest is Football podcast, he explained: “I nearly dropped the f-bomb on ITV today. I was so close to it.
“We get used to it, you [Joe] swore there. There was a point where I was live and I went ‘ffff’ and just held it back. I sucked it in. I’m nearly 30 years of television or whatever it was so you know not to do it ever but doing this show and the fact we swear a little bit, I was so close and just pulled it back.”
Lineker and the other Rest is Football team are permitted to swear during the show, which has partnered up with Netflix for the tournament. The ex-Tottenham striker anchors the show and is joined by regular co-stars Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, with Georgia Stanway, Joe Cole and Harry Maguire among the guests for this summer’s showings.
Lineker found himself in the headlines earlier this week after Harry Kane’s double against Croatia saw the skipper draw level for the most England goals at a World Cup. When quizzed about losing his record, Lineker replied: “I am not a violent man, but I did kick the door down! No, I was genuinely pleased for Harry.
Lineker found himself in the headlines earlier this week after Harry Kane’s double against Croatia saw the skipper draw level for the most England goals at a World Cup. When quizzed about losing his record, Lineker replied: “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. 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.”
Kane and his England team-mates will return to action on Tuesday night for their second group match against Ghana. Following that, the 1966 winners end their group stage against Panama, with the knockouts starting at the round-of-32 stage.