Gary Lineker has spoken about his impending exit from BBC's Match of the Day in a new bombshell interview.
Back in November 2024, it was announced that after nearly 25 years at the helm, Lineker will be stepping down as presenter of Match of the Day at the end of the 24/25 season.
Since then, it has been confirmed that Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates will share the role as the show's presenter in the upcoming season.
In a recent interview with Amol Rajan on the BBC, Lineker claimed that the broadcaster 'wanted' him to vacate his role.
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The former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur striker said: "It’s time [to leave]. I’ve done it for a long time. It’s been brilliant. It’s been great.
"Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that, yes. I've got another year and I'm going to do the FA Cup and World Cup and they're taking our podcast now, the Match of the Day Top Ten, as well as The Rest Is Football that I do with Alan [Shearer] and Micah [Richards]."
Lineker continued: "I always wanted one more contract, and I was umm-ing and ahh-ing about whether to do three years [more] and I think woth the way the rights issue comes up, it didn't. I'm not saying they didn't want me to do one more contract, they did because they've given me one more contract.
"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. So it's slightly unusual that I would do the FA Cup and the World Cup, but to be honest, it's a scenario that suits me perfectly."
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Being one of the most popular sports presenters in recent years, it was expected that Lineker would be snapped up by one of the BBC's rivals.
However, the man himself has admitted that he is likely to step away from television.
He added: "It won't be more telly. I think I'll step back from that [TV] now. I might appear on something or come back and chat to you in 20 years' time if I'm still alive.
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"No politics, no. I'm not interested in politics, I've never had a view [chuckles]. I think I'll probably focus more on the podcast world, because it's such a fun business and it's just been so incredible but I'll travel a bit more. I'll have a bit more time, weekends off and more time for trips away."
Topics: Match Of The Day, Gary Lineker, Football
Marcus Chan