With Micah Richards headed home from Euro 2024 early, BBC pundits Lineker and Shearer have been left to their own devices as a duo outside of coverage - leading to a hilarious conversation with a German man in their spare time
Gary Lineker has recalled an awkward conversation he had with a German man who thought that he and Alan Shearer were a happy couple.
Lineker and Shearer have been on punditry duties for the BBC as Euro 2024 progresses alongside Micah Richards - with the former Manchester City defender recently returning to England and temporarily cutting the number of hosts from three to two.
After admitting that they miss Richards' company, The Rest Is Football podcast the former defender responded: "It's been about ten hours that's all lads," with Lineker replying: "Well I know but it feels like three days!"
Wanting to keep his fellow pundit in the loop of what has been happening in his absence, the former Leicester and Spurs striker then revealed: "Micah, something's just happened to us on the way here, to this apartment studio tonight.
"We had a little bit of Italian, which was lovely - a little bit of food after we did the early game - and came here to watch the Austria-Turkey game. And we walked past the little shop on the way and there's the kind of musical theatre place on the way. And there was a guy on the way - a little crowd of people - and the guy starts shouting to me and Alan in German.
"And I'm saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't speak German - do you speak English?' and he said, 'Ah yeah, I speak English'. He said, 'I want to know how long have you two been together? You are a really lovely couple.'" Micah erupted into laughter as Lineker held back a chuckle himself, before adding: "Honestly, I swear this is true, right?"
Witty as ever, Lineker told the man that they had been together since "February 1992" before adding: "I remember it well." Shearer chimed in with: "I thought he was concerned that some f****** old man was about to abduct me or something like that?" with Lineker laughing: "Says the spring chicken from Geordie-land?"
Shearer went on: "Honestly, I've never been so offended in all my life. I'm sorry but yeah." Lineker reflected: "That's a bit harsh," before the former NUFC striker added: "We did have a lovely meal and a lovely bottle of wine though didn't we?" Richards, cracked: "Did you hold hands together?" with Lineker jesting: "I thought we should as we walked away into the distance, but we didn't. It was a lot of fun."
Lineker also went on to explain that he and Shearer were having a lot of fun in Germany, with a particularly comical moment coming at their hotel in Berlin. He added that their hosts put a message out to all of the rooms which read: "Wishing you another great day in Berlin for the Euro 2024 championships. It is all just a question of sport.
"In 1996, the Championships were held in England. For two points, how many teams competed in the final that year and who was the top scorer for the tournament?" To which Lineker exclaimed: "And I thought 'Shearer's been to reception here and asked them to do this. This is outrageous'. So here's my reply. Sixteen, and can you see it, Micah? It says Alan f****** Shearer." In response, Shearer joked: "I asked the manager to put that on."
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