Alan Shearer was in a playful mood during the most recent instalment of The Rest Is Football, quipping that he would take legal action from a fellow pundit unless he got an apology over an error
Alan Shearer jokingly threatened Mikel John Obi with legal action in lieu of an apology after false claims that he deployed underhand tactics during their respective playing days. The Newcastle United hero was appearing on the most recent instalment of The Rest Is Football alongside John Obi and Gary Lineker, when he had a bone to pick with the former Chelsea star.
He said: "Last night you said I was dirty, I used my elbows and you used to get John Terry at St. James' Park to make you stand in front of me because I was always standing on your toes. Yet, we found out you didn’t even f*****g play at St. James' Park until I retired.
"I retired in the May and you didn’t sign for Chelsea until the end of July 2006. Explain it, either an apology or my lawyers are coming after you!"
Returning with a quip of his own, John Obi said: "I have played against so many bald-headed strikers that’s why I thought was Big Al," before Lineker joked: "We have done a bit of digging and I think you might have got confused with a certain Antoine Sibierski."
Issuing the apology Shearer jokingly demanded, Obi then added: "Big Al, sorry about that, send your lawyers to me, I'm waiting," tongue firmly in cheek. It comes as all eyes will be on England's World Cup semi-final clash with Argentina on Wednesday evening.
The Three Lions have a tough test in getting the better of Lionel Scaloni's men at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with a place in Sunday's final against Spain at stake. However, Joe Cole issued some sage advice to Thomas Tuchel and his squad ahead of time.
He explained: "They need fire in their belly, and they need to know that they're coming to upset the party. And I would almost go on the front foot with it, and get in the face of Argentinian players early doors.
"When we played for Chelsea, John, and we played against Barcelona and they were the UNICEF team. And everyone loved Messi and Ronaldinho.
"We were new to Champions League football, and everyone wanted this tiki-taka football, and we felt that, we played onto that, and Jose [Mourinho] would play onto that. And I think we need to do that as England."
Lucy Bronze, meanwhile, highlighted that England must shut down Lionel Messi to dampen Argentina's attacking threat. She explained: "Don't let him get the ball. That's the thing with the Argentina players as well, you watch them play at club and you think, 'Ah, they're good players.'
"And then when they play with Messi, it's like they've all just got a radar, 'Where's Messi? Where's Messi?' They make these passes that...You don't see [Rodrigo] De Paul make them at the weekend - now he does he plays with Messi more - but they just find him all the time."