April 22 – BBC host and football legend Gary Lineker is just weeks away from stepping down from Match of the Day (MOTD), after 26 years at the helm of the iconic highlights show. True to form, he’s not leaving quietly.
In an interview with Amol Rajan, Lineker suggested that the decision to move on was largely driven by the BBC, which may be looking to refresh one of its most recognisable television faces.
“It’s time,” Lineker said. “I’ve done it for a long time – it’s been brilliant.”
When pressed on why now, the 64-year-old said: “Well, perhaps they want me to leave … there was a sense of that.”
He added: “I think it was their preference that I didn’t do Match of the Day for one more year so they could bring in new people. So while it’s slightly unusual that I’ll still be covering the FA Cup and World Cup, it’s actually a scenario that suits me perfectly.”
Lineker, who played for England in two World Cups and was the top scorer at Mexico ’86, has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years.
While celebrated for his broadcasting talent, Lineker’s social media presence has occasionally sparked controversy. A post on X (formerly Twitter) criticizing the UK government’s asylum policy – calling it “immeasurably cruel” and likening its language to that of “Germany in the 30s” – led to his temporary suspension from MOTD, prompting an on-air boycott by his co-presenters in solidarity.
Speaking to Rajan, Lineker reflected on the incident: “I don’t regret saying [the comments] publicly, because I was right – it was accurate – so not at all in that sense.”
“Would I do it again, in hindsight? No, I wouldn’t – because of all the nonsense that followed. It was a ridiculous overreaction to a reply to someone who was being very rude. And I wasn’t particularly rude back.”
He added: “But I wouldn’t do it again because of all the kerfuffle that followed. I love the BBC, and I didn’t like the damage it did to the organisation. But do I regret it, or think it was wrong? No.”
Despite leaving Match of the Day, Lineker won’t be disappearing from the media landscape. He will continue hosting the MOTD Top 10 podcast, as well as the hugely popular The Rest is Football, which he co-hosts with fellow pundits and former England teammates Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1745547861labto1745547861ofdlr1745547861owedi1745547861sni@o1745547861fni1745547861