Gary Lineker left the BBC in May after 26 years as the frontman for Match of the Day, but remained a prominent figure in the world of football through his podcast.
Gary Lineker cheekily suggested he should have said goodbye to the BBC 10 years ago after his podcast won an award. The 64-year-old quit the broadcaster in May after being the face of Match of the Day for 26 years.
Mr Lineker had originally planned to leave the iconic football highlights program in 2025, with the hope that he would continue to appear on the BBC and head up coverage of the 2026 World Cup. However, following the anti-Semitism controversy, Lineker announced in May that he was severing all ties with the company.
He has become a well-known face in the world of football through his podcast The Rest Is Football, on which he appears alongside colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. It was on this program that Mr Lineker joked about leaving the BBC.
The podcast, hosted by Lineker, Shearer and Richards, has been a huge success since its launch in 2023, winning the title of Podcast of the Year at the Broadcast Sports Awards. In September, Lineker also won the gong for Best Television Presenter at the National Television Awards.
All these victories after leaving the BBC gave Mr Lineker the opportunity to playfully criticize his former employer. He described his podcast as “award-winning”, grinning at Shearer and Richards on the show before making teasing remarks.
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“Since I left the BBC, or maybe it’s better to say since I left the BBC, I’ve won more awards than I’ve ever won in my life!” Lineker revealed. “I should have quit 10 years ago!”
Co-star Shearer couldn’t help but laugh at the comment, joking: “We should have kicked you out 10 years ago. You would have won so many awards!” To which Mr. Lineker replied, “You’re right, that’s strange!”
Mr Shearer continued to appear on Match of the Day following Mr Lineker’s exit, and in a chat with The Independent he spoke candidly about the challenges of losing his friend from the show and how things have changed.
“I think it’s like a footballer leaving a football club,” confessed Shearer, 55. “But this program is always going to be bigger than the individual.
“But is it different? Well, the program hasn’t changed. Obviously the personnel has changed, but the feedback has been very positive and hopefully that continues.”
“I think the best thing to take away from this is that it’s today’s game. That hasn’t changed. The theme song is the same. The features are exactly the same.”
“Nothing big has happened and I think that’s what everyone needed and wanted. I see Gary, whether it’s on Zoom or in person two or three times a week.
“Thanks to the podcast. I was with him last week, so my relationship with him doesn’t change. It’s just Saturday’s Match of the Day that changes.”
“Three (new) presenters. It’s not like they’re new to presenting. They’re as experienced as ever and are great presenters in their own right. They’re very different, but they’re great presenters.”
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