In short
The Rest is Football hosts run a playful “2026/27 Premier League Draft,” building the best possible 11-player squad plus a manager using a snake pick order determined by a quiz (2026 World Cup goals: 308). It’s not fantasy points; teams are judged on balance and quality, then the public votes on social media for the best side.
Guests/hosts
Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, and returning Rob Jones (former World Cup Netflix success).
Key claims
Draft strategy matters (balance over fixed position order); goalkeepers can be early; Arsenal-heavy squads are a sign of title chances; Newcastle players were notably absent.
Notable examples
Anthony Robinson (Fulham) picked first for Micah; Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi Alonso, plus debated “not signed yet” Bradley Barkler.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VODraft Rules and Format
0:00 to 0:52
Understand the rules and format of the Premier League draft.
“For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters.”
Draft Rules and Format
1:59 to 2:11
Understand the rules and format of the Premier League draft.
Draft Rules and Format
2:25 to 4:20
Understand the rules and format of the Premier League draft.
“I think it works better because we're bringing back something that was very popular last season and a lot of fun.”
First Draft Picks
4:20 to 6:30
Hosts make their first picks and discuss player choices.
“Gabriel and Rice will probably be picked quite early.”
Team Building Strategy
6:30 to 8:30
The hosts continue drafting players and strategize their teams.
“Can I say at this point, I'm on my own, so I've got no one to write down because Hazzy's at a wedding.”
Midway Review and Team Updates
8:30 to 10:40
Review of current teams drafted and analysis of player choices.
“You can't even get the Arsenal team at the minute because he's injured.”
Final Picks and Wrap-Up
10:40 to 14:00
Finalize draft picks and discuss last strategies before closing.
“Instead of two, I'm going to go with fruit.”
Drafting Players and Team Strategy
14:00 to 16:49
The hosts discuss player selections and strategies during the draft.
“God, you don't have to turn against your own quickly.”
Manager Selection and Team Composition
16:50 to 21:01
The hosts deliberate on choosing managers and finalize their team compositions.
“What do we get for putting the manager in there?”
Team Reveals and Analysis
21:02 to 24:05
The hosts reveal their teams and analyze each other's choices.
“Back four of Munoz, Saliba, Lacroix, and the Kuiper.”
Show all 12 chapters
Closing Remarks and Poll Announcement
24:06 to 24:41
The hosts wrap up the episode and discuss how listeners can vote on their teams.
“I think my team's the best, to be honest.”
Closing Remarks and Poll Announcement
26:03 to 26:27
The hosts wrap up the episode and discuss how listeners can vote on their teams.
“Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today.”
Transcript
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2:10Alan Shearer:Hello and welcome to The Rest is Football with Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, me Gary Lineker and returning after his success during the World Cup on our Netflix show, Rob Jones is with us for this one. Yes, Rob. There's a reason we need four people. Well, we don't need four people. I think it works better because we're bringing back something that was very popular last season and a lot of fun. It's the draft. Now, if you remember, one of us last season didn't do so well. First pick, Mike, at any position, any player you want. Number one pick for me is Anthony Robertson. Ten assists for Fulham this season.
2:58Marauding left back. USA International. What more do you want? You have a first pick and you pick a left back. Left back's always last pick.
3:07Alan Shearer:Everyone knows a left back is always your last pick.
3:10Gary Lineker:Am I missing something here?
3:12Alan Shearer:It's all about the balance of the team. Micah, have you got drift of it now?
3:20Absolute shambles, that, wouldn't it? Basically, I thought you had to start with a defender and go from left-back to centre-back to right-back to midfield to forwards. So, yeah, I got it wrong, but I'm ready now.
3:34Alan Shearer:We'll see. We'll see if you get first pick. Right, I'm going to read out the instructions and the rules of this game to make it absolutely clear, Micah. Okay? All right. So the aim of the draft is to make the best team that you possibly can. This is not fantasy football. It has nothing to do with points. It's just the best team you or we are able to put together. You can play any formation you want, but you will be judged on the balance of your team as well as the quality. Each of you will pick a player and take it in turns to do so. You can pick any position you want in any order, but the aim of the game is to make the best team so players like Harlan, Parma, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel and Rice will probably be picked quite early.
4:26Alan Shearer:That's up to us. The order of picks will be determined at the start with a quiz question that one of the producers will call out after this intro. So whoever is closest to the answer will go first. Second closest will go second and so on and so on. We'll be using the snake system for the order. So it'll be first, second, third, fourth, and then the person who went fourth will then be the next person to pick, third, second, first, et cetera. And we shall go on until we've got 11 players each and we'll have a manager in there as well. so let's find out the quiz question how many goals were scored in the 2026 World Cup
5:11Gary Lineker:who's going first on that one then Rob you're new you can go first go on then I'm going to go with 150 it's got to be more than that surely
5:25Gary Lineker:179 I'm going to go bigger than that what did you say 150 179 yeah I'm going to go 270.
5:39Alan Shearer:I'll go 269.
5:44Alan Shearer:And the answer is 308, Micah. Big mix. I nearly went one above you. I nearly went one above you. If you'd have gone a bit lower, I would have gone one above. So Micah goes first. I was second. I was second. Alan third and Rob fourth. My guess was terrible. I was working on the basis of that.
6:07Gary Lineker:You've made a good start, Rob. You've made a good start. Do you know what? I was working on the basis of about two and-ish goals a game and then realised that the last England match finished 6-4. So I should have known I was in trouble from that point, shouldn't I?
6:20Alan Shearer:Oh, dear. Not a great start, Rob. But anyway, it's all right. Micah, so you get first pick. Lovely. And I'm going to pick it for you. Anthony Robinson.
6:33Alan Shearer:All right. Can I say at this point, I'm on my own, so I've got no one to write down because Hazzy's at a wedding. So if you could all write your own teams down. Okay. That would be helpful. I'll do the same. Micah, you're first. Erling Haaland. Well, that's not overly surprising.
6:55Gary Lineker:At least he understands the game now, isn't he?
6:59Alan Shearer:Bruno Fernandes.
7:03Gary Lineker:That's a good shout, that, guys. Very good. That's a good shout. Do I go goalkeeper? That's the only thing I would ask myself. Or do I go forward? Or you go sleep. I'm going to go David Raya.
7:18Alan Shearer:Hang on a minute. Hang on a minute. One of our greatest centre forwards has just gone, first pick, a fucking goalkeeper. game's gone game's gone son game's gone over to you Rob so I've got two haven't I I'm going with two here I've got two picks the first one I will go for then is Gabriel going to really start rock hard at the centre of my defence and then the second one I will go for given that there's probably a dearth of centre forwards of yours to ilk in the Premier League and Micah has obviously gone with the clear pick in Erling Haaland maybe a little bit of recency bias in this, but I'm going to go with João Pedro as my second pick.
8:02Gary Lineker:So it's me now, is it? Yeah. I'm going to go with Cole Palmer.
8:11Alan Shearer:I'm going to go with Bukayo Saka. That's a great shout. So have I got two now? Yes.
8:25Saliba!
8:26Alan Shearer:Saliba. Just the best defender in the Prem and the best striker in the Prem. You can't even get the Arsenal team at the minute because he's injured. No, you said when the fit is as if everyone's fit. You again, Micah. You know what? I'm going to go with Morgan Rodgers.
8:44Gary Lineker:Yeah, good one, good one.
8:45Alan Shearer:Makes you realise how short we are of strikers, Al. Yeah. I'm going to go Kai Havert. Ooh, like it.
8:53Gary Lineker:Good one, guys. Good one. Like it.
8:55Alan Shearer:because I think I need to get in there quick because there is a shortage up top.
9:00Gary Lineker:Yeah. I'm going to go Semenyar.
9:02Alan Shearer:Yeah, good shout. I'm going to go and pick my manager now then. And I'm going to take Unai Emery as my manager. Ooh, that's a random pick. He's gone early with his team. Gone early on the manager. I'm trying to go left field. And talking of left, I'll actually pick my left back now too. Given that I just heard you wax and lyrical about him, I'm going to go Nico O 'Reilly.
9:25Gary Lineker:Oh, good show. I think I'm going to go another goal scorer, guys. I know he probably can't have the season I had last season again, but... I might go Tiago at Brentford.
9:39Alan Shearer:Then I am going to go Mark Gay. Friend of the show. Friend of the show. I think we've all got four now, haven't we? I've got three. We've got three. Go one more, Micah, and then we'll have a little review of where we are. I'm going with the Shirkster. The Shirkster? Shirkie. Shirkie. Shirkie. Wow, look at my team. Go on, read your team out, Michael. Harland up front. That's a good start. Shirkie and Rodgers as your number 10s and Saliba at the back. This is too easy, guys. Too easy. Rob, what's your team? So we've got Gabriel and Nico O 'Reilly at the back so far, Joao Pedro up front and Unai Emery as the manager.
10:24And I'm worried. I'm worried looking around at the other three, particularly Micah's.
10:28Gary Lineker:I've got David Rea in goal and I've got Cole Palmer, Semenyo and Igor Thiago. Ooh, it's not bad. It's not bad.
10:36Alan Shearer:I've got Mark Gay, Saka, Bruno and Havertz up top. And it's your go again, Micah, I think. You know what? Yeah. Instead of two, I'm going to go with fruit. Philip Foden You're just picking the Man City team, Micah Concentrate on your own team, Rob I am going to snatch this player from what I thought Alan would have him I'm going to go Lewis Hall Ooh, I get a bit of balance to my team here
11:10Gary Lineker:Morgan Gibbs-White Gibbs-White, I love that shout
11:15Alan Shearer:Penalties, Micah, penalties Gibbs-White, you've got to think about penalties, though I've got Bruno I'm going to lock in my midfields together, my two sort of holding midfielders. I think these two would combine quite nicely. Declan Rice alongside Dominic Sobbers-Lyne.
11:30Gary Lineker:Ooh, Rice. I'm going to look for clean sheets now. Ruben Diaz.
Read the full transcript
11:39Alan Shearer:I'm going to go Marcus Rashford. I'm going to go with...
11:46Kaysado and Anderson as my holding midfielders I'm going to go
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13:00I'll be moving in. Let's get started. Sorry, I think there's been a mistake. I bought it from Carvana. You what? Yeah, great price. I even have seven days to love it or return it. So there's no... No, no buyer's remorse. More like buyer's rejoice? I guess I'll let myself out. Congratulations. I mean it. Buyer's rejoice. Buy your car today on Carvana. Limitations and exclusions may apply. See our seven-day return policy at Carvana.com. When you think like an athlete, setbacks don't stop you. But mindset alone doesn't get you moving again. That's where Icy Odd steps in. Ice works fast. Heat makes it last.
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13:54Alan Shearer:You got two, didn't you? Yeah, Kaysado and Anderson for me. I'm going to go Tonali. You better improve quickly. God, you don't have to turn against your own quickly. He does, doesn't he? He's nasty. how good he was last season.
14:08Gary Lineker:No, he wasn't that good last season at all. He was good the season before, but not last season. Do you know who I think is going to have a really good season and could score goals as well? Odegaard. Ooh, I like it. What's the protocol on someone who hasn't quite signed yet, but is probably going to arrive? If it all falls through, do I just have a big gap in my team?
14:28Alan Shearer:Well, you've only got to pick a player. It doesn't matter what team, but if he gets sold abroad before this goes out, you're fucked. Yeah, the problem is he's coming from abroad. So if he fails his medical, then we're in trouble. But I'm tempted by Bradley Barkler to get him into my team somehow. He's not signed yet, has he? He's not signed yet. He's not signed yet. When this goes out. Put him in. Yeah, let's lock it in. No one's ever failed a medical before, have they? So let's put Bradley Barkler in. He can play on one side. Come on, don't he? Can't he put him in place? No. Put pen to the ink, it's not even dry.
15:05What are you talking about? By the time he goes out, Mike, he'll be here, he'll be fine. And if not, then I'm at massive disadvantage because I'm playing with 10, aren't I? Are we allowing it or not? Who's the official adjudicator? I would allow it in the hope that he doesn't sign. And I've got a second pick, haven't I? So let's go with... We need a bit of leadership in the team as well. We've got Gabriel and Declan Rice, but we're going to add to it a cup-winning captain in from last season, Super John McGinn is going to go into my team as well.
15:39Alan Shearer:Calafiori. Adam Wharton is my holding player there. How many players we pick now? You pick one more, Mike. It's you, Mike, in now. You pick one more and then we'll have another little run through. I'm going to go with Lacroix at Chelsea.
15:56Gary Lineker:Is that what we've got? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight players we've got. So, I have got striker of Erling Haaland on the right and left Foden and Rodgers inside 10s but also can go wide Shirky as my actual number 10 Caicedo and Anderson in midfield Saliba and Lacroix at the back you guys are miles off the pace that is good
16:27Alan Shearer:well you did get first pick yeah I did so you got another pick now haven't you I'm going to go Munoz as my right back. Munoz. Okay, you've got that. I'm actually going to pick my right back now, I think. I think I'm going to go with Ben White.
16:51Gary Lineker:Good shout. Tell me how the manager thing works. What do we get for putting the manager in there? And so what is it? You can pick him whenever you want.
16:58Alan Shearer:But it's an odd one because we're the managers, aren't we? Because we're picking the team. but anyway
17:02Gary Lineker:but we're not getting points for having a manager in there no why are we picking a manager it's why our viewers
17:09Alan Shearer:and listeners will decide who's got the strongest team which obviously part of that will include who is the strongest manager you can pick yourself out probably isn't the only previous Premier League manager in the room at the moment
17:22Gary Lineker:man like a maker a wittle maker comes in pipes up he's also the only one on this chat or group or call to have relegated a team too.
17:38Gary Lineker:Has anyone, someone said Bruno Gameraj? Nope. He's not being called. Well, Bruno Gameraj. I will lock in my right back as well. I'm going to go with Rhys James. I like it. And then, yeah, I'll take this one off Micah's toes. I'll put Gianluigi Donnarumma as my goalkeeper.
17:59Alan Shearer:Anyone said Timber? No, I nearly went Timber. Timber, please. So now it's me. I'm going to go Big Verge. It's amazing we got this late into the draft before Van Dijk got picked, didn't we? You wouldn't have thought that maybe even last season, a couple of seasons ago, he'd have been one of the first names, wouldn't he?
18:14Gary Lineker:You've seen Liverpool's start of the season.
18:19I'm going to go...
18:25I could go Hinkapie. but I'm going to go with De Kuyper for my left back what a player he is timing we'll see I'm going to go let's go goalkeeper who did you say, Real?
18:50Gary Lineker:yeah I said David Real and you said Donnarumma yes Yes. It has to be either Alisson or Trafford, really. No Pickford, no? Pickford, potentially.
19:08Alisson over the last couple of years has just been immense, even with his injuries. So I'm going to go with Alisson.
19:14Alan Shearer:I'm going to go Pickford.
19:15Gary Lineker:So I need to put a left back in my team. Someone's had Guardiol, haven't they? No, I didn't hear anyone say Guardiol.
19:21Alan Shearer:Don't tell him he's already got a left back. It would have been sensational if he'd have put two left-backs in me.
19:27Gary Lineker:No, I'll put Vardial in as my centre-half and keep Calafiore left-back. Who's next? Me, isn't it? Yeah, my final couple. I'm going to go with my final attacking wide player with Jeremy Doku. I like it. Get a bit of pace on that left-hand side. And then centre-back, I am really struggling. I've got a couple of options. There's still a few out there. Yeah, Esri Konza would be one I'm thinking of. I don't know how much he's going to play this season, particularly when Saliba's back. And Mickey van der Ven, again, kind of clouded by where Spurs are and how they've started the season. Let's go Esri Konza.
20:08Esri Konza to finish things off alongside Gabriel, all Arsenal.
20:12Gary Lineker:So it's you, Al, yeah? I've just got to pick my manager. Me too. Arteta.
20:17Alan Shearer:You've gone Arteta, yeah?
20:19Gary Lineker:Yep. In that case, I will go Xavi Alonso. Oh, so Alonso Arteta. And who did you say? Emre, didn't you? Una Emre, yeah.
20:31Alan Shearer:So, ooh, I forgot. Pick yourself, Micah.
20:37You know what I'm going? Eraiola. Hey, my team manager. Come on, guys. Your manager's never won anything, no? Yeah, he manages one of the biggest clubs in the world.
20:52Alan Shearer:You wait. You just wait. Okay, right. How do we do this? Let's read out our teams. Micah, you pick first so you can read out your team. Okay. So, manager, I've gone, Irayola. Yeah. Goalkeeper, Alisson. Back four of Munoz, Saliba, Lacroix, and the Kuiper. Two holding midfield. I'm not impressed. All right. The midfield, Caicedo and Anderson, the three in front, Foden, Cherky, Rodgers and Haaland up front. What more do you want? What more do you want from me, guys? It's a good team. It's a good team. It's all right. Stacked at the top end, isn't it? Okay. Rob, you go next. So we are managed by Unai Emery.
21:42And we've got Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. A back four. You can tell I followed England round all summer, can't you? Rhys James, Esri Konza, Gabriel and Nico O 'Reilly. Two sitting midfielders, Declan Rice and Dominic Sovazlai. We're all hoping, or at least I'm hoping, that Bradley Barkala will be a Liverpool player by the time this goes out. Bradley Barkala, John McGinn, Jeremy Doku and João Pedro up front.
22:10Alan Shearer:Not bad. Two mediocre teams so far.
22:16Gary Lineker:On to you, Alan. My manager, Mikel Oteta, got his goalkeeper, David Raya. Timber, Ruben Diaz, Vardial and Calafiori as a back four. I think that's the best back four so far. I've got Morgan Gibbs-White. I've got Martin Odegaard and I've got Bruno Gameres in the midfield. And I've got Cole Palmer, Igo Thiago and Semenyo up top. Too heavy at the back, I think. Yeah.
22:45Alan Shearer:All right. Here we go. I've got Jordan Pickford in goal and I'm managed by Xabi Alonso, a reminder. I've got Ben Wyk at right back, Gaye and Van Dijk in the middle with Lewis Hall on the left. A midfield three, which I really like, of Wharton, Tonali and Bruno Fernandes with Saka on the right, Havertz up top and Marcus Rashford on the left. And I'm quite happy with my team. I was slightly concerned halfway through, but I think I've rallied. towards the end. Anyone who we've missed? Tells you a lot about the Premier League. I think from my account, we've got 12 Arsenal players across four teams, which probably suggests who's going to win the league this season, doesn't it?
23:27That people probably aren't even going to start for Arsenal and making it into people's draft teams.
23:32Alan Shearer:It's a reminder, there's a lot of good players in the Premier League. Hear, hear. Okay, well, we'll leave the public to decide. We'll put this out on social media and we'll have a poll. and the public will decide who has got the best team. I think, actually, there's not a lot in it between all of them. Owl, all this talk about Newcastle. Not one Newcastle player in your squad. What's going on?
23:59Gary Lineker:Well, Gary and Nick Lewis-Hall, we're a young team. We'll get better and we'll improve. And then when we do this next year, there might be four or five in there. I think my team's the best, to be honest. Why? Because you've got Harland. And the Shirkster. And Foden. And Rodgers. And Caicedo. And Anderson. And Saliba. I assume you'll be calling Anthony Robinson to apologise for not picking him for a second year, Michael, will you? Dropped him. What about no Isak? Did anyone pick Isak in the end?
24:31Alan Shearer:No. No. I didn't even have him on my short list of strikers. I think a year ago, that would definitely not have been the case. Wow. Okay, let's call it there. we'll get you guys to decide we'll put a poll on social media so please please vote for me if you don't vote for one of the other the other three and we'll see who came out with the best side that's the end of the draft episode of the rest is football goodbye from me goodbye from me goodbye from me goodbye from me Rob you've got to say have a good week have a good week have a good week as I've just been told saved by Micah. You obviously don't listen to the pod, do you?
25:15Well, I need some direction. Have a good week, everyone. There we go.
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From the publisher
New season, new Premier League draft. Gary, Alan, Micah, and Rob Jones, compete to build the best team possible.
Will anyone other than Erling Haaland go first? Will Alan load up on Newcastle players? Will Micah learn his lessons from last season when he blew his first pick on Fulham's Antonee Robinson?
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