Gary Lineker’s future on the BBC has been the topic of current hypothesis, because the presenter’s contract with the broadcaster ticks down into its ultimate yr.
The previous England striker has been a fixture on the BBC for greater than 25 years, having begun internet hosting Match of the Day in 1999, with the 63-year-old the lead presenter for the Beeb’s Euro 2024 protection this summer time.
A report emerged earlier this month that Lineker is not going to be presenting the BBC’s Champions League spotlight present which begins in September after the company signed a three-year deal to point out highlights for the primary time.
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And now the Mail claims that Lineker ‘plotted a switch from the BBC to ITV’, after making overtures to ITV over the previous 18 months, solely to be turned down by the broadcaster.
The report provides that Lineker’s agent, Jon Holmes, known as the claims ‘garbage’, including that ITV wished to rent his shopper prior to now, just for these advances to be turned down.
Lineker discovered himself on the centre of controversy throughout Euro 2024, when his criticism of England’s group stage performances on his The Relaxation is Soccer podcast made headlines, with Three Lions skipper Harry Kane addressing the row throughout a press convention.
Gary Lineker (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
“I might by no means need to be disrespectful to any participant, particularly a participant who has worn the shirt and is aware of what it’s prefer to play for England,” mentioned Kane. “However what ex-players who’re pundits now have gotten to grasp it is extremely exhausting to not hearken to it now, particularly for some gamers who should not used to it or some gamers who’re new to the atmosphere.
“I at all times really feel like they’ve a duty – I do know they have to be trustworthy and provides their opinion but in addition they’ve a duty of being an ex-England participant. The underside line is we have not gained something as a nation for a protracted, very long time and a number of these gamers have been a part of that as properly they usually understand how robust it’s.”
Gary Lineker throughout his enjoying days (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Lineker was additionally briefly suspended by the BBC final yr after taking goal on the then-Conservative authorities’s use of language round asylum coverage on social media, with a bunch of his Match of the Day colleagues rallying round him and pulling out of that weekend’s broadcast, that means it was proven with no commentary and no studio evaluation.
Lineker’s present BBC contract is price £1.35 million per yr and runs till subsequent summer time.
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