Gary Lineker says BBC wanted him to quit MOTD to ‘change programme’ – despite star ‘um-ing & ah-ing’ about staying
GARY Lineker has said he felt the BBC wanted him to leave Match of the Day to "change the programme".
Lineker, 64, stepped down from MOTD in May last year and will leave the Beeb altogether in 2026 after next season's FA Cup and World Cup.
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Speaking to the BBC's Amol Rajan, the pundit was asked why he would choose to leave.
"Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that," Lineker said.
"I always wanted one more contract, and I was umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to do three years [more].
"In the end, I think there was a feeling that, because it was a new rights period, it was a chance to change the programme.
"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."
But Lineker said the new set up "suits me perfectly".
There were questions previously regarding the England legend's future and many wondered if he would sign with another channel amid intense specualtion involving Sky Sports.
However, the former hitman insisted he will not be seen on any TV rival and will instead be doing podcasts.
Lineker told FourFourTwo: "I don't think you'll see me doing much football, apart from the podcast.
"I'll do the odd thing, but I don't think you'll see me appearing regularly on another channel."
Lineker admitted that there were talks with Sky but he was too loyal to the BBC.
Thus, the ex-Barcelona star will be focusing on his esteemed Goalhanger Podcasts, which consists of shows including The Rest Is Football, which he hosts alongside MOTD pals Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is History.
Astonishingly, all 13 pods collectively achieve more than 40million downloads a month.
And according to Podwatch, who get their data from iTunes and Spotify, Goalhanger Podcasts occupy the top four spots in the UK.
Lineker added: "We've had talks with Sky at various points, but I always wanted to stick with the BBC.
"I could have earned a lot more, though I know I've been well paid anyway, obviously.
"I've had offers to go elsewhere but I just loved being with the BBC, and also how it helps everything else you do.
"It's not only the kudos, the audience is much bigger. More people still watch Match of the Day than probably the biggest live game on Sundays.
"Also, I'm quite loyal. I've had the same guy cut my hair for 40 years, the same guy training me in the gym for 30 years, the same agent since I was 18…"
It was announced in January he will be replaced by a three-person presenting team consisting of Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan.
Asked why a trio are needed, Lineker previously told FourFourTwo: "That’s probably down to the fact it’s a massive commitment.
“Those three have all got families, and if you’re saying someone is going to do it for the next ten or 20 years, then your weekends are gone.
“That might be it, I don’t know. I didn’t get involved in any of that.
"I take it as a compliment that they’ve named three, but I suspect it’s not due to that.
“I haven’t seen them yet to speak to them, but I will do.
"They’ll be fine and they’ll do a great job. I’ve known them all for years, they’re top presenters."
By Joshua Jones, Sports Reporter
FOR as long as I can remember, Gary Lineker has been the No1 football presenter.
Born a few years after his retirement as a player, I have no memories of my own of Lineker on the pitch - for Leicester, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham or England.
Instead, I grew up with him as a regular in our lounge on a Saturday night, hosting Match of the Day.
For more than two decades, it has been Lineker, the increasingly silver fox, who provided a sense of continuity and stability, an ever-present regardless of which pundits joined him in the studio and which teams made up the Premier League season after season.
An astute understanding of the game, his charming persona and his consistency over the years have made him a firm favourite.
It is telling that MOTD continues to be such a success and must-watch viewing for so many in an era when all the goals and incidents from Premier League matches are available well before 10.30pm on a Saturday night.
He always seemed to hit the right note, too - whether he was required to make a sombre, serious announcement live on air or signing off the show with one of his trademark quips.
In recent years, he has not been afraid to speak his mind more and more, thanks in part to his platform as the top-paid BBC presenter and his huge profile outside of the MOTD studio - namely on social media and on his own podcast.
His long run in the Match of the Day hot seat means, for many football fans of my era, our whole football journey has been accompanied by Lineker - from the heights of Premier League title wins and FA Cup upsets to the depths of relegation and, of course, heartbreak with England.
Because while the bread and butter Match of the Day is the Saturday night highlights, Lineker has also been the main man for the Three Lions' major tournaments, having to console millions of BBC viewers after gut-wrenching defeats to Croatia, Italy, France and Spain in recent years while he himself, as big a football fan as any of us, mourned another missed opportunity.
There is one Lineker moment that stands out above the rest, though.
Of course, Lineker Road in my hometown of Leicester beside the old Filbert Street stadium got its name thanks to his goalscoring exploits for his beloved Foxes.
But he deserved a far greater honour for what he did on August 13, 2016, famously presenting MOTD in his (very baggy!) pants, coming good on a promise he vowed should Leicester win the title. And somehow he kept a straight face through it all.
Ironically, the biggest compliment many people can pay Lineker as MOTD host is that they didn't know he was a footballer - he is not just an ex-pro who has made a smooth transition from the stadium to the studio but is instead a brilliant TV presenter in his own right, regardless of his status in football.
That is proven by the very fact Lineker succeeded the iconic Des Lynam in 1999 as MOTD host so successfully.
It will require another fine presenter and plenty of time to follow in his footsteps as a new era begins.
They may well succeed, too, but no one will ever really replace Lineker - what he means to so many football fans and the role he plays in countless memories over the last 25 years.
Thank you for everything, Gary.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
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