Alan Shearer confirms he is scaling back Match of the Day appearances and reveals why he will feature just ONCE a month on iconic show – as he wades into Ollie Watkins' Villa row

Alan Shearer confirms he is scaling back Match of the Day appearances and reveals why he will feature just ONCE a month on iconic show – as he wades into Ollie Watkins' Villa row See more Daily Mail on Google – save.

Key points

• Published: 00: 00 BST, 27 August 2026 Updated: 10: 04 BST, 27 August 2026.
• The Beeb have expanded their punditry team for the new season with Toby Alderweireld, Robbie Keane, Ashley Young and Thomas Frank joining their football coverage.
• The former Newcastle striker featured on the programme last weekend, reviewing the Premier League openers alongside Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney.
• Isak left Newcastle for Liverpool last summer for a British record £125m but has struggled to settle at Anfield, missing 24 games last term with a broken leg.
• 'I remarked to them a while back that I would like some of my weekends back on a Saturday, Shearer informed Daily Mail Sport.

Shearer has provided punditry on the BBC's flagship football programme for 20 years since retiring as the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer in 2006, but made public before the start of the new Premier League season that he would be taking a step back from the show.

For context, the former Newcastle striker featured on the programme last weekend, reviewing the Premier League openers alongside Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney.

Nevertheless, viewers were left wondering when he would next appear on the weekly highlight show.

Speaking to Daily Mail Sport, Shearer, an ambassador for Betfair, clarified that he would pop up monthly while continuing to lead the Beeb's commentary on their live FA Cup matches.

Alan Shearer has made public why he is stepping back from Match of the Duty punditry duties.

For context, the Newcastle legend will feature on the iconic football show just once per month.

'I remarked to them a while back that I would like some of my weekends back on a Saturday, Shearer informed Daily Mail Sport. 'It'll be regarding one a month.

'I'll be going to more Newcastle games. I love doing the co-comms. When the FA Cup starts in January, there's loads of co-comms.'

For context, the Beeb have expanded their punditry team for the new season with Toby Alderweireld, Robbie Keane, Ashley Young and Thomas Frank joining their football coverage.

Shearer, meanwhile, took a dim view of the emerging trend of Premier League players striking to force moves away from their club.

While there have been suggestions that Ollie Watkins employed a similar tactic to push through his imminent switch from Aston Villa to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, alexander Isak and Yohane Wissa both downed tools – refusing to train and play – to force moves to Liverpool and Newcastle respectively last summer.

Tolu Arokodare even halted a Wolves training session to secure his move to Ajax.

'It's not a good look when you have supporters paying their hard-earned funds to watch you and adore you and you secure a great salary, ' Shearer noted.

'I'm not saying Ollie has done that since we don't have the full story but it's not right that you refuse to play for your club when they're paying your wages. It's a part of football that I don't like.

'You always have the right to leave any football club, but there's a way to do it. I left Blackburn a year after we won the Premier League since I wanted to try a different challenge and concluded up back at Newcastle.

'I understand it, I obtain it, nobody can tell you that you can't do that, you're well within your right. But there's a way to do it.'

When he has played, though, Shearer feels that the Swedish international has struggled since Liverpool do not play to his strengths.

'I look at when he was brilliant at Newcastle, and how you obtained the best out of him was early balls in behind or in from behind.

'I don't see Liverpool doing that. I guess they will have to change a little bit.

'It certainly hasn't worked with Wirtz and him, they've paid a fortune for both players.

'I look at Alex and when he was brilliant at Newcastle, it was them playing early ball from midfielders in behind and wingers out wide early. I don't see that at Liverpool as yet. It's a bit of both.

'He had a serious injury last season but those two are going to have to do miles better if Liverpool are going to obtain into the top four.'

It has been a brutal summer for Shearer's beloved Newcastle. The North East club lost manager Eddie Howe. This person resigned against the backdrop of significant summer sales with Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali all exiting.

Despite having the richest owners in the world, Newcastle have been forced to become a selling club due to the Premier League and UEFA's financial regulations.

Shearer accepts that it will be a tough season at St James' Park and does not expect European football but is excited by the appointment of Matthias Jaissle, a charismatic character.

Shearer notes he wants to spend more time watching his beloved boyhood club.

He took a dim view of players striking to obtain a transfer, against the backdrop of speculation over Ollie Watkins.

In practice, the 56-year-old, who scored 206 goals for Newcastle in ten seasons, bemoaned the rules but conceded refreshing the playing squad is not a bad thing after a tough campaign last term.

'Plenty of optimism at Newcastle after a long summer. It needed a reset. We mustn't forget all those players Newcastle sold, wanted to go, didn't want to be there and didn't have great seasons last season since Newcastle finished 12th.

'It had to be a reset and it's going to take a lot of patience at times, albeit hoping for one or two in before the end of the transfer window, then plenty to be optimistic regarding after the weekend.

'Look at Aston Villa and what they've had to do, selling their best players. Chelsea and Man City wouldn't be where they are if those rules are in place now.

'You obtain to a point and you can challenge, finish in and around the top five for two or three years but then you see what you have to do to comply with those rules.

'Newcastle have had to do the same since of the laws. I don't like those but it is what it is, you have to somehow obtain by and Newcastle have done that. It is a reset. New young manager, new ideas and hopefully plenty to be optimistic regarding.

'I don't expect us to obtain into European football this year. If we do, great, it'll be a great bonus but I don't expect that.

'We need another midfielder before the end of the window without a doubt, maybe another player in a forward position. It is a transitional year and we have to accept what is thrown at us since selling your best players and losing your manager is not always straightforward.

Shearer believes there are reasons to be optimistic for Newcastle fans this season.

'If it was straightforward, everyone would do it and bring in younger players. They're going to need time to obtain employed to it and improve – they will obtain better with experience.

For now, alan Shearer confirms he is scaling back Match of the Day appearances remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.