Gary Lineker has laughed off rumours about his future as presenter of Match Of The Day – revealing contract talks with the BBC have “just started”.
The company final week denied an announcement was pending relating to its highest-paid star, who’s underneath contract till the tip of the soccer season.
Lineker started Saturday’s Match Of The Day by joking it was his remaining one, shortly including: “Before the international break.”
The previous England striker referred to as media hypothesis about his position “a strange few days”, telling The Relaxation Is Soccer podcast: “There are bigger problems in the world, that’s for sure.”
He joked his state of affairs is like that of Liverpool gamers Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose offers all expire in the summertime.
“I think there is one significant difference – Liverpool fans really care about those three,” he stated.
“It’s been a strange few days – as you know, like Trent, Virgil and Mo, I’m coming to the end of my contract in the summer so it’s natural at some point you have to have conversations and they have just started.
“I do not know why all of it spiralled uncontrolled. All is okay.”
Picture:
Lineker hosts a podcast with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. File pic: AP
Lineker revealed his co-hosts on The Relaxation Is Soccer, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, are in a “similar predicament”, to which Richards replied: “What is more concerning is I’m 4 to 1 to replace you!”
In response, Shearer joked to Richards: “That is a massive concern. I’m not signing my contract if you’re presenter.”
Lineker took over the flagship soccer highlights present in 1999 after his predecessor Des Lynam moved to ITV.
He has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air expertise for seven consecutive years and was estimated to have earned £1.35m within the monetary 12 months 2023-24, in response to the company’s annual report revealed in July.
