Gary Lineker: BBC wants to change Match of the Day – it made sense for me to leave

Gary Lineker has confirmed changes are planned to Match of the Day after admitting it was “the right time” for him to leave the show and joking “it won’t be long ’till I’m in a box”.

Breaking his public silence on his exit from the BBC’s flagship football programme at the end of the season, Lineker refused to endorse a successor and appeared to acknowledge the “chaos” his Nazi jibe about the last Government had caused for both him and his employer.

Speaking on his own The Rest is Football podcast amid reports 31-year-old presenter Roman Kemp had held talks about a role on Match of the Day, Lineker said: “I think, the next contract, they’re looking to do Match of the Day slightly differently, so I think it makes sense for someone else to take the helm.”

The former England striker said it had been “an absolute joy and privilege to present such an iconic show for the BBC”, before adding “all things have to come to an end”.

The corporation’s highest-paid star went on: “It came at a point where really the BBC and Match of the Day, they’ve got the rights for another three years, the cycle starts from next season so it felt like if I just do one more year it would be a bit weird.

“I always felt, during my football career, I felt I was born to be in the box and then I had to really learn to be on the box. And to be honest, at my age, it won’t be long ’til I’m in a box.”

The 63-year-old, who will quit the BBC altogether after fronting its coverage of the next World Cup, added: “I bowed out in my football career when I felt it was the right time. I feel this is now the right time.”

The outspoken Lineker became an increasing headache for the BBC, plunging it into one of its worst crises when he compared the then Government’s rhetoric around its flagship immigration bill to that of Nazi Germany.

He was suspended, sparking a staff walkout that forced the corporation to show Match of the Day minus commentary or punditry.

Acknowledging he had “had a lot of chaos over the last couple of years in many ways”, Lineker continued: “It surprised me the amount of love I’ve had. And that’s been lovely because you know what it’s like in football, whether you’re playing or whether you’re a pundit or a presenter or whatever it is, you always get some stick alongside the eulogies. And obviously there are the people that don’t like you and they’ll always not like you, but it’s a tiny minority and it’s been really lovely.

“So I’ll probably get a little bit emotional towards the end, but I’m quite calm at the moment. But it’s been a bit bonkers and a bit mad, but I didn’t think it would be quite the big deal that it was because it’s just a guy that’s done a TV show for a long time. It’s nothing more than that, really.”

Lineker refused to endorse a successor, including Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman.

He said: “Obviously I don’t know who it’ll be, and I would never tell publicly my preference – I don’t think that’d be the right thing to do – but whoever it is, I would say ‘be yourself’.

“I had to fill the ginormous shoes of a certain Des Lynam.

“I would say just be yourself and enjoy it, it’s a wonderful programme to be a part of. It was brilliant before I took over, and it will be brilliant after I leave.”

Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and will have presented the show for more than a quarter of a century when he steps aside in May.

He said it was nice to be leaving the show in “really good shape”, describing the viewing figures as “still really competitive on a Saturday night”.

“It’s the flagship BBC Sports programme, hopefully, it always will be,” he added.

Lineker will continue with the MotD Top Ten podcast alongside The Rest is Football, which also features BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Richards said: “You’ve been in the game for 25 years at the highest level, people don’t do that, and you’ve done that for 25 years.

“It is a sad day, not just for us, but for people who have watched you over the years, because you are a great of broadcasting. Yes, you’re not leaving yet, but in terms of Match of the Day, I just want to thank you so much for everything you’ve done, not just for me, but for everyone associated and who has watched you over the years.”

Shearer described Lineker as an “unbelievable player, playing at the highest level for years and years and years” and an “unbelievable presenter for years and years and years”.

Lineker has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years and was estimated to have earned £1.35 million in the year 2023-24, according to the corporation’s annual report published in July.

The BBC said future plans for Match of the Day would be “announced in due course”.