Gary Lineker's final Match Of The Day opening: ‘It wasn't meant to end this way'
After heading up the BBC sports show since 1999, the former England striker, 64, confirmed earlier in the week that he would be leaving the corporation after Sunday's episode, following controversy over a social media post.
As the episode started, Lineker said: 'It wasn't meant to end this way… but with the title race over and the relegation places confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to talk about about.'
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker outside his home in London. Mr Lineker has announced he will leave the BBC after Match Of The Day on Saturday (Ben Whitley/PA)
His early exit comes after he faced criticism for sharing a social media post about Zionism which featured an emoji of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic trope.
Lineker, the BBC's highest-paid presenter, issued an unreserved apology as it was confirmed he would leave his presenting role at the BBC early and will no longer front the corporation's coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season.
Presenting the final episode alongside fellow pundits, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, with whom he also hosts podcast The Rest Is Football, Lineker's departure will be marked with a tribute similar to the one given to Ian Wright when he left in May 2024, it is understood.
Lineker joined the programme after starting out as a BBC Radio Five Live presenter, also working on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting.
He is the co-founder of Goalhanger Podcasts which makes The Rest Is History series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money.
Gary Lineker takes part in The Rest Is Football live show, at the Audley Public House in Mayfair, central London (Ben Whitley/PA)
The presenter was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 over an impartiality row about comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy.
In February of this year he was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter calling on the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, to BBC iPlayer.
Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman will replace the Leicester-born star and share the presenting role on Match Of The Day from the next Premier League season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd submit final Bryan Mbeumo transfer offer as Viktor Gyokeres drops hint
Manchester United are pushing to sign Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, who they want to lead the line next season for Ruben Amorim alongside £62.5million arrival Matheus Cunha Manchester United are beginning to gather momentum in the summer transfer window - and are wasting no time in trying to get deals done. The club knows the importance of their business this off-season, after a dreadful debut campaign for Ruben Amorim, and are determined to get it right this time. United finished 15th in the Premier League and will not play in the Champions League next season after losing the Europa League final against Tottenham. They are recruiting from a position of weakness, which makes their decisions even more important, amid the financial difficulties spelled out by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Red Devils have made a positive start to the window by agreeing a deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves. United will pay his full £62.5million release clause - and hope that his addition will encourage others to follow suit. In the meantime, they are negotiating the departures of some first-team players, knowing that offloading unwanted players will be just as important as recruiting new ones. Everyone in the squad is considered fair game, meaning there will be lots of incomings and outgoings this summer. Here are the latest pieces of news involving United. Final Mbeumo bid sumitted Manchester United have made one last attempt to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. An initial bid of £55m, comprised of £45m up front and £10m in add-ons, was rejected by the Bees, so United have upped their offer. They have now offered £55m plus £5m in add-ons for the Cameroon international, who banged in 20 Premier League goals last season. The offer appears to match Brentford's stated £60m valuation for Mbeumo. It would appear the final stumbling block in the move, given that the 25-year-old forward is keen to move to Old Trafford and has already agreed personal terms of around £200,000-a-week over a five-year contract with an option for an extra year. Gyokeres drops transfer hint Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a move to Manchester United, due to his relationship with his old Sporting boss Amorim, and he has now ruled out on summer transfer. When asked about moving back to Sweden, the 27-year-old striker told Swedish Vogue: 'After living in a warm country, it would be difficult." Gyokeres is understood to be available for £60m from Sporting this summer, but Arsenal are considered to be front-runners, because they can offer Champions League football. However, the Gunners are still considering RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, so Gyokeres' move to north London is far from certain. Hojlund's future on hold Inter Milan are waiting to get their new manager in place before deciding on a potential move for Rasmus Hojlund. Inter boss Simone Inzaghi left the Italian giants to join Al-Hilal after their defeat in the Champions League final and his replacement isn't through the door yet. Cristian Chivu is poised to leave Parma to take over from Inzaghi and he will be given a say over a potential move for Hojlund. The Danish international has a good reputation in Serie A following his spell at Atalanta and could be offered a way out of Old Trafford. Inter will need new attackers, with Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic set to depart. And Hojlund could fit the bill for Chivu, although there are suggestions he could prefer Parma star Ange-Yoan Bonny instead.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Reece James hoping to make it a family affair on the England scene this summer
The Chelsea defender wants to pin down his place in Thomas Tuchel's side in the upcoming games against Andorra and Senegal while his sister Lauren has overcome injury to be named in the Lionesses squad for Euro 2025 in July. James is delighted for his younger sister and knows the siblings are making their parents proud. Reece James is hoping to nail his position down in Thomas Tuchel's side (Bradley Collyer/PA) 'I'm delighted for her,' the right-back said. 'She obviously got injured with England at the back end of the season, and I'm happy she got selected to represent England going into another Euros. 'I've spoken to her briefly yesterday, I know she's focused on training and trying to get her body right for the tournament. 'The family are very much happy. Both of us representing our country, they're proud.' James has some competition if he wants to make the right-back position his own for next summer's World Cup, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker also in contention. The 25-year-old has had an excellent campaign for Chelsea, leading them to Europa Conference League glory and Champions League qualification, with the chance of more silverware to come with the start of the Club World Cup later this month. He believes he is going in the 'right direction' and is not fazed by competition for places. 'I had a difficult two or three seasons, always being injured and coming back and breaking down again, and it was tough,' he admitted. 'It takes a lot out of you when you have so many setbacks. 'This season, I feel like I've come on leaps and bounds, playing on a consistent basis, getting selected for England again. I'm feeling strong, and for sure, I'm moving in the right direction. 'It's something I'm used to, playing or competing with world-class players. 'They're two phenomenal players in my position. 'And yes, of course, it's going to be tough. But we all have different capabilities and different strengths, just whichever one the manager wants to play.'
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Understated Dawson shows England magic they've been missing
Tall or short. Right-arm or left. Leg-spin, off-spin or Dan Mousley's men bowled spin for England between Liam Dawson's 20th and 21st international bowler Ollie Robinson has even turned his arm over with some offies during a miserable Ashes defeat in Adelaide since Dawson's last in taking 4-20 against West Indies in the hosts' 21-run win in the first T20, Dawson gave a hint at what England have been missing."I have not played international cricket for three-and-a-half years," the 35-year-old told BBC Test Match Special."To contribute to a win is a really special feeling." Even that sentence tells you had, in fact, been two years and six months since Dawson's last England appearance but he would be forgiven for thinking it had been an England squad was named - or they lost a Test - Dawson's absence was a hotly-contested times verging on culture-war status, county fans were dumfounded the leading English spinner in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024 was being consistently managing director Rob Key famously said Dawson was "not someone who wants to go around India as the 15th or 16th man" after leaving him out of a Test then, Dawson had accepted the call from England would never come again."Probably not," he said on Friday, when asked if he expected this international comeback to happen."For a couple of years I have not expected to play."I want to go out and enjoy my cricket, whoever I am playing for. To come back and do well, I am very proud and it is pleasing."Dawson has shown - from Lord's to Lahore, Dubai to Durban - he a dependable operator in his time away from international cricket. He has been a regular pick on the franchise circuit and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in at the start of a new era under captain Harry Brook, in need of wins to halt a slide that has lasted 18 months, England finally realised that dependable was no longer a criticism but a strength."I have played against Daws quite a bit," said Brook. "I played with him for England a few times."He's such a good bowler. He's good bloke as well, which helps."Recalling Dawson was not solely Brook's decision, although it is significant the comeback came for the Yorkshireman's first T20 series in three poor white-ball tournaments in a row, Key said earlier this year England had to improve their bowling of left-arm spin in a hint at what was to come for an outfit that had previously packed their side with pace. Dawson, meanwhile, admits he does not try to do anything "flash".While Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have their high release points and Rehan Ahmed his googly, Dawson is a throwback - the old-school magician who can still deceive you with two hands and a pack of cards, without the need for saws, fire and flashing Chester-le-Street, he outfoxed West Indies with that understated routine of conceding only four runs from the first over, Dawson struck in his extra loop, he dropped 10mph from his previous delivery and found the sharpest turn in the match. Johnson Charles charged towards him to be left stranded and there, after two opening overs that cost only seven, Dawson rested and West Indies returned, the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford on strike, and the spinner delivered for Brook as the left-hander hit to credit for that one would be generous, Dawson's next scalp - two balls later - came with another drop in pace and, crucially, a wider outside off stump Roston Chase gave Ben Duckett another catch in the deep to make England huge favourites once boundaries flowed at the other end - younger men Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts among those punished - Dawson was not hit to the rope until his fourth dangerous Rovman Powell struck him for four twice but a ball later Dawson changed and flatter he went, Powell was bowled and Dawson had his best T20 international 4-20 was also the best by a left-arm spinner for England in the format. Key could hardly have asked for backdrop to England's win is the T20 World Cup that looms next year. They have only 12 matches in this format before travelling to India and Sri Lanka, where spin is expected to be crucial."That's not even come into my thoughts," said Dawson, when asked if he had one eye on making that World Cup squad."I'm just happy to be back involved in this, take one game at a time and enjoy every time I play."Dawson was an unused squad member when England won the 50-over World Cup in years on, he may finally be the one they need.
