Veteran broadcaster Gary Lineker has indicated that he felt the BBC preferred him to step down from hosting the football show “Match of the Day” as part of an effort to “change the programme.”
Lineker, aged 64, departed from his role on MOTD in May of the previous year. He is scheduled to leave the BBC entirely in 2026, after the conclusion of next season`s FA Cup final and the World Cup.
Speaking during an interview with Amol Rajan on the BBC, the prominent pundit was asked about his decision to leave. Lineker responded, “Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that.”
He elaborated that he had contemplated staying for one additional contract, pondering a three-year extension. Ultimately, he perceived a sentiment that the arrival of a “new rights period” offered an opportune moment to introduce changes to 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,” Lineker stated. However, he added that the current arrangement “suits me perfectly.”
Despite previous speculation regarding the former England forward`s future and suggestions he might move to another network amid discussions with Sky Sports, Lineker affirmed that he does not intend to make regular appearances on rival television channels. His focus, he said, will predominantly be on his podcast ventures.
In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine, Lineker commented, “I don`t think you`ll see me doing much football, apart from the podcast.” He continued, “I`ll do the odd thing, but I don`t think you`ll see me appearing regularly on another channel.”
He acknowledged having had discussions with Sky in the past but maintained his loyalty to the BBC.
Lineker is concentrating on his highly successful “Goalhanger Podcasts” network. This includes popular shows such as “The Rest Is Football,” which he co-hosts with former MOTD colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, alongside “The Rest Is Politics” and “The Rest Is History.”
Collectively, the 13 podcasts produced by Goalhanger generate over 40 million downloads per month. Data from Podwatch, which draws from iTunes and Spotify, shows that Goalhanger Podcasts currently hold the top four positions in the UK podcast charts.
Reflecting on his decision, Lineker reiterated, “We`ve had talks with Sky at various points, but I always wanted to stick with the BBC.” He recognised that he could have earned considerably more elsewhere, stating, “I could have earned a lot more, though I know I`ve been well paid anyway, obviously.”
Explaining his enduring connection to the BBC, he said, “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.” He also light-heartedly pointed to a general trait of loyalty in his life: “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…”
In January, the BBC announced that a three-person presenting team consisting of Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, and Gabby Logan would take over the Match of the Day hosting duties.
Lineker speculated in his FourFourTwo interview that the decision to appoint three presenters might be due to the significant time commitment required for the role. “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,” he commented. He noted his non-involvement in selecting his successors but interpreted the appointment of a trio as a compliment, although he believed the demands of the job were the primary reason for the shared role. He expressed confidence in the new team, calling them “top presenters.”
Lineker also addressed the temporary suspension he faced from the BBC in March 2023 following comments he made on X (formerly Twitter). The suspension occurred after he criticised the government`s proposed Illegal Migration Bill.
He told Amol Rajan that he stands by the content of his social media post, stating, “I don`t regret saying them publicly, because I was right – what I said, it was accurate – so not at all in that sense.”
However, he conceded that, “in hindsight,” he would not repeat the action due to the subsequent disruption, which he described as “nonsense” and “a ridiculous overreaction.” He clarified, “I wouldn`t do it again because of all the kerfuffle that followed, and I love the BBC, and I didn`t like the damage that it did to the BBC… But do I regret it and do I think it was the wrong thing to do? No.”
Following the controversy, the BBC updated its social media guidance in 2023. At the time, a BBC spokesperson stated that presenters of flagship programmes like Match of the Day bear a “particular responsibility to respect the BBC`s impartiality” given their public visibility through the broadcaster.
Marcus Bellamy