Alan Shearer's Match of the Day teammate Gary Lineker has provided a excellent response to the news the ex-Newcastle United striker's statue has been moved back inside the St James' Park grounds.
The statue had previously been placed just outside of the stadium grounds on Barrack Road with former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley refusing to allow it on site at St James'.
But the statue has now been moved inside the grounds of the stadium and will sit adjacent to the statue of Sir Bobby Robson. Ashley also famously renamed the St James' Park bar 'Shearer's' to 'Nine' following Shearer's public criticism of the retail business giant. Shearer was never shy in giving his opinion of Ashley, with the ex-Newcastle striker calling his time on Tyneside "disastrous".
However, the mood at St James' Park has shifted in recent months following Ashley's exit. Newcastle have produced a superb run of form in 2022 that has seen them go from relegation favourites to a potential top 10 Premier League finish.
They capped off their home Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Arsenal, all but ending the Gunners hopes at a top four finish as Mikel Arteta's side wilted under the pressure of a raucous St James'.
Shearer's statue was moved the morning after Newcastle's Monday night win. And in a tweet responding to a video of the statue being moved, former England international Lineker has poked fun at his Match of the Day teammate Shearer.
That’s exactly how we get @alanshearer into the studio on Saturday nights. https://t.co/KH8fLXmXQI
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker)
Lineker's tweet read: "That's exactly how we get @alanshearer into the studio on Saturday nights."
