‘Lineker is aware of it is his final event’: Is he going out with a bang?
The BBC‘s best-paid star Gary Lineker has fuelled talk that Euro 2024 may be the last tournament he presents for the corporation.
The former England captain has courted controversy this summer by wearing his own clothing brand on-air and also with sweary criticism of the Three Lions, especially current skipper Harry Kane.
He also devoted time on his The Rest Is Football podcast to joking about a long boozy lunch with fellow ex-England skipper Wayne Rooney which left him ‘groggy’.
And after a day off presenting duties on Sunday, he then did not appear on a follow-up podcast yesterday afternoon for what Alan Shearer called a ‘power nap’.
Media insiders now believe the current Euros may be the last tournament as BBC host for the man paid £1.35million a year by the broadcaster.
Reports have suggested the current Euros could be the last tournament Gary Lineker presents for the BBC – – he is seen here last night’s coverage of the match between Croatia and Italy
Lineker presents the podcast The Rest Is Football with Alan Shearer (second left) and Micah Richards (right) – and has revealed he enjoyed a boozy lunch with Wayne Rooney (second right)
Lineker’s company Goalhanger produces podcasts including his own The Rest Is Football
The commercial The Rest Is Football podcast is produced by Lineker’s company Goalhanger but features his regular BBC colleagues Shearer and Micah Richards.
Listeners have highlighted the more outspoken tone being adopted by Lineker and the others this summer – including his criticism of England’s performance against Denmark in their 1-1 draw last Thursday as ‘s***’.
And a sports producer has now told the Times: ‘It’s a lot more frank and sweary – and in that format Lineker is more able to voice his opinion.
‘Plus I think he knows that this is his last tournament and he doesn’t give a f***.’
Both the BBC and representatives for Lineker declined to comment.
His existing contract with the corporation lasts until next year.
He and Shearer blamed the media for their apparent dispute with Kane, in their instalment of his podcast released yesterday morning – before Lineker was absent from a second episode later that day.
Lineker told in the morning edition of feeling ‘groggy’ after the previous day’s session with Rooney, having been given the day off by the BBC as Gabby Logan presented Euros coverage.
He told Shearer and Richards: ‘I was given Sunday off because Gabby was doing it. I went out with the producers here for lunch – we had a couple of drinks.
Lineker, seen after scoring for England in their 1990 World Cup semi-final against West Germany, is paid £1.35million a year as a BBC presenter – the corporation’s highest earner
Lineker has used his podcast to defend calling England’s display against Denmark ‘s***’
‘We had a late lunch then we bumped into Wayne Rooney who was having lunch with Gary Neville, then Gary Neville left and Dion Dublin arrived with two of his Brummie friends who were great – and let’s say lunch went on into the night.’
Shearer responded by saying: ‘I’ve missed out on a good afternoon, then, when I was working – someone’s got to work, lads.’
Lineker admitted: ‘I’m a little bit croaky and a tad groggy this morning.’
Shearer then told listeners to the later podcast: ‘No Gary Lineker, as the old man needs his little naps in the afternoon – a little power nap for the old man Lineker.’
Lineker, Shearer and Rio Ferdinand were among the ex-players who condemned England’s performance in the Denmark draw in their roles as BBC TV pundits.
Lineker, in particular, hit the headlines as he branded the performance ‘s***’.
Kane hit back at a news conference on Sunday, saying: ‘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.
The England captain also suggested an ulterior motive behind some of the negative reaction, with members of the media using it to ‘promote their own channels’ because they ‘want the most views’.
In yesterday’s podcast Lineker stood by his criticism of England and insisted that the journalist who put his comments to the team would have had the same evaluation of their performance.
Harry Kane hit back at Lineker’s comments ahead of England’s final group stage fixture
Kane, Jude Bellingham and John Stones were the players criticised after the 1-1 draw
He said: ‘Made the headlines again, haven’t I – journalists being what journalists are.
‘They can be a bit tricky on these things trying to wind up our footballers. We’ve been obviously critical of England’s performance as has pretty much every journalist.
‘I guarantee whoever asked that would have probably been critical himself.’
Lineker added that he wants nothing more than to see England perform at the highest level possible in Germany.
He said: ‘Imagine we had gone on and said they’d played well – we’d be lying. They didn’t play well and Harry knows that.’
