Gary Lineker has revealed that he watched Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday for the first time this weekend. The former Match of the Day presenter, who has now settled into life away from the BBC’s flagship football show, admitted he was genuinely surprised as he had never watched the show before.
It’s been 12 months since the 65-year-old officially stepped down as presenter after an impressive 26-year tenure on the football highlights show. The former England captain was replaced by Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman after the broadcaster took the ground-breaking decision to split coverage between multiple presenters. Mr Lineker, who has been at the helm of Match of the Day for more than a quarter of a century, has had the privilege of watching every top-flight match played at BBC headquarters, but this means he has never had the chance to watch the hugely popular Sky Sports program.
He made a candid confession on his podcast The Rest is Football, saying:
“I thought to myself, ‘Have I ever seen this show before?’ That sounds crazy because it’s been going on forever. I’ve always watched football in the Match of the Day office, so I’ve never watched it. I had seen Final Score a few times earlier this season and was thinking of watching it, but it’s funny that I’ve never seen that show.”
Soccer Saturday was first broadcast in 1998 and has become a regular weekend ritual for supporters, thanks to the enduring popularity of the Sky Sports programme. The show has featured countless personalities and has stood the test of time over the decades. In recent years, legendary figures such as Jeff Stelling, Chris Kamara, Phil Thompson, Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas and Paul Merson have gradually stepped back from prominent roles.
Mr Stelling will leave Sky Sports in 2023, following his high-profile departure to be replaced by Simon Thomas. Julian Warren has been a staple on the cast roster for many years, frequently joining the midweek broadcasts.
Meanwhile, since leaving the BBC, Lineker has seen his Goalhanger production company flourish, with figures saying Goalhanger now has 250,000 paying subscribers and its podcasts are downloaded more than 75 million times each month.
Mr Lineker will return to mainstream television this year as host of ITV’s new game show The Box. He said: “I can’t wait to host The Box. I always feel at home in the box on a football pitch. This is a different proposition, but the basics are similar.”
“Contestants will have to quickly and skillfully figure out how each game works while staying ahead of the competition and taking the initiative. It’s going to be unpredictable and thrilling, and we’re excited to have a front row seat to all the action!”
