Gary Lineker has hosted Match of the Day for 26 years, and one present could also be remembered greater than most.
Lineker will step down because the programme’s presenter on the finish of the season, having sparked a lot amusement on one explicit episode in 2016.
Again then, Lineker vowed that he would current Match of the Day in his pants if Leicester Metropolis received the Premier League, so small did he consider their probabilities have been of truly succeeding.
A present to recollect
Gary Lineker (Picture credit score: BBC)
Leicester got a 5,000/1 shot by some bookmakers of successful the league initially of that marketing campaign, having narrowly prevented relegation throughout the earlier season.
Lineker is a lifelong Leicester fan, having grown up supporting the membership earlier than beginning his enjoying profession at Filbert Road, and nonetheless wasn’t satisfied that they’d proceed their robust begin to the 2015-16 season and go on to raise the trophy.
Leicester Metropolis with the Premier League trophy (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Remarkably although, that’s precisely what Claudio Ranieri’s males did, making them arguably probably the most stunning champions in English soccer historical past.
That meant Lineker needed to do what he’d promised – on the opening day of the following season, he did certainly current Match of the Day in his underwear.
Requested for a standout second of his 26 years as Match of the Day host, throughout an unique interview with FourFourTwo, one present inevitably sprung to thoughts for Lineker.
“Yeah, the one within the pants – fortunately it didn’t stand out!” he quips mischievously.
Lineker spent the early a part of his profession at Leicester (Picture credit score: Alamy)
“That was probably the most surreal factor I’ve carried out on Match of the Day as a result of they stated, ‘Proper, we’ll do the opening of the present stood up’. That doesn’t usually occur, however it will have seemed odd opening that present on the desk.
“As I used to be delivering the primary line, I used to be making an attempt to maintain a straight face and do it usually, however all I may see in my peripheral imaginative and prescient was 4 shoulders going up and down, of Alan Shearer and Ian Wright laughing. It was fun, I don’t remorse promising to do it. It was enjoyable.”
