Gary Lineker wiped away tears after internet hosting Match of the Day for the ultimate time and bringing his BBC profession to an finish on Sunday night.
The previous England striker stepped down from presenting duties on the company after the airing of the highlights programme on the ultimate day of the Premier League season.
The 64-year-old had lengthy supposed Sunday’s present to be his final Match of the Day however he was planning to remain on to entrance the BBC’s reside protection of the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup.
He introduced final Monday he was bringing ahead his departure following a social media row by which he shared a submit about Zionism that includes an outline of a rat, traditionally used as an antisemitic trope.
Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter and host of Match of the Day since 1999, apologised unreservedly for the submit however stated it was “finest for all involved” if he left fully.
He appeared to allude to this as he opened Sunday’s programme, which featured the ultimate video games within the race for top-five locations within the Premier League, with a joke at his personal expense.
Lineker stated: “It wasn’t meant to finish this manner… however with the title race over and the relegation locations confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to speak about about.”
The programme was preceded with a montage of Lineker’s on-field footballing highlights, and an archive clip of him as a presenter saying “the tip of an period”, earlier than the common opening credit.
The present concluded with a prolonged tribute to Lineker’s profitable careers in each soccer and broadcasting, that includes punditry colleagues previous and current together with Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Alan Hansen and Ian Wright.
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There have been additionally feedback from Manchester Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Claudio Ranieri, who guided Lineker’s hometown Leicester to Premier League glory in 2016 – prompting Lineker to ship on a promise to current the present in his underpants.
Paul Gascoigne, Alan Smith and Peter Shilton had been among the many former team-mates to characteristic, in addition to members of his household.
Lineker was teary after the tribute, however composed himself to wrap up the programme by thanking group members concerned within the “iconic present”, describing them as “the perfect”.
He stated: “Fairly like my soccer profession, everybody else did all of the arduous work and I acquired the plaudits.
“It’s been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for 1 / 4 of a century. It’s been totally joyous.”
He went on to say his Match of the Day replacements Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates, who will share presenting duties from subsequent season, will guarantee “the programme is in the most effective of fingers”.
There was additionally a congratulatory message throughout the programme from Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot, whom Lineker interviewed about his facet’s title success.
Lineker moved into the media after a enjoying profession that included stints at Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham. He additionally scored 48 objectives in 80 appearances for England.
In addition to soccer, he additionally hosted protection of different main sporting occasions together with the 2012 London Olympics.
In March 2023 he was quickly suspended from BBC duties amid an impartiality row over feedback he made criticising the then-government’s new asylum coverage.
The most recent controversy introduced renewed strain on his place and he determined to go away the BBC fully after Sunday’s Match of the Day.
