Gary Lineker is currently the subject of rumours that he attempted to leave the BBC for ITV, with his agent branding the claims as ‘rubbish’.
The 63-year-old recently worked for the Beeb at Euro 2024, with Lineker’s criticism of England and Gareth Southgate raising eyebrows throughout the course of the tournament.
The former Tottenham, Leicester and Barcelona hitman has been working for the BBC ever since 1999. However, according to the Daily Mail, he has considered jumping ship to rivals ITV.
It’s claimed the Match of the Day presenter ‘made the overtures’ in the last 18 months. He was interested in being a sports anchor for the broadcaster – but they didn’t want him.
Gary Lineker is currently the subject of rumours that he attempted to leave the BBC for ITV, with his agent branding the claims as ‘rubbish’.
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Lineker is the highest-paid presenter at the BBC, with the host taking home a huge £1.35million a year. His agent, Jon Holmes, has branded the claims as ‘rubbish’ and said ITV wanted his client ‘years ago’ – but were knocked back.
The 63-year-old has worked for ITV outside of sport, with the former England striker hosting the game show Sitting on a Fortune between 2021 and 2023 before it was axed.
Lineker’s long-term future at the BBC is currently up in the air, with his contract due to expire next year.
There have been claims he knew Euro 2024 would be his last tournament, which is why he was so outspoken as England scraped their way to the final.
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He was critical of Southgate and his side, with his comments often going viral. Both the former England boss and striker Harry Kane were forced to answer questions on Lineker.
Kane, when quizzed, said: “I would never want to be disrespectful to any player, especially a player who has worn the shirt and knows what it is like to play for England.
“But what ex-players who are pundits now have got to realise it is very hard not to listen to it now, especially for some players who are not used to it or some players who are new to the environment.
“I always feel like they have a responsibility – I know they have got to be honest and give their opinion but also they have a responsibility of being an ex-England player.
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“The bottom line is we haven’t won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well and they know how tough it is.”
Lineker has taken issue with claims he was behind Southgate’s exit.
The 53-year-old quit his role as manager on Tuesday, less than 48 hours from his side’s defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
The likes of Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are all in the frame to take over.
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Gary Lineker was reportedly knocked back by ITV after plotting to leave the BBC behind
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Lineker, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, said: “I think we’ve been unquestionably fair on England. There’s no doubt about that.
“But I think… it’s time for change. I think, probably for Gareth’s wellbeing as well, because it must be such a tough job.”
He added: “We were critical at times, because you can’t say when a team is not playing very well, that they played well.
“If they played awfully, you say they played awfully, and they did in the early part of the tournament. There’s no question about that.
Gary Lineker has denied claims he played a role in Gareth Southgate deciding to quit his job as England manager
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“But then to try and make it that that’s the reason, that criticism is the reason he’s gone. It’s not. It’s not that at all.
“We speak to the players and they totally understand where it’s coming from.”
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