'You were first choice' – Gary Lineker reveals stance on Match of the Day colleague

Gary Lineker has revealed to Micah Richards that he was actually his top choice to feature alongside Alan Shearer and himself on his 'The Rest Is Football' podcast.

In the latest episode, as they discussed whether Lee Carsley feels like The FA's first pick for England manager, Richards quipped: "It's like this pod, innit? Wrighty was your first choice, and I was your second choice," leading Lineker to respond: "Well you know, that happens. Yeah."

Richards then shared: "Sometimes it happens. It's what you do with your opportunity, and that was it no?" But returning to a more serious tone, Lineker revealed: "Can I say Micah? Can I say that for this podcast, The Rest Is Football, you were first choice," prompting an ecstatic reaction from Richards.

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Lineker continued down memory lane: "I think that you're going back to the Match of the Day top 10s when Wrighty was," before he jocularly added: "I mean, Wrighty obviously was unavailable anyway," leading all three football experts to share a laugh.

Having worked closely both on-screen and off, Lineker, Richards, and Shearer's bond has translated into their podcast venture, 'The Rest Is Football', which since its beginning in August last year, has racked up over 200 episodes and is showing no signs of stopping. Amid swirling rumours earlier this month that the BBC were eyeing a replacement for Lineker as Match of the Day's leading man, speculation was fuelled by what appeared to be a leaked email hinting at an exit for the former Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City