Lineker: It is 'right time' to leave Match of the Day

Gary Lineker has said it is "the close time" for different presenter to instrumentality connected hosting Match of the Day, arsenic the BBC looks to bash the shot programme "slightly differently" successful the future.

Earlier this week, Lineker announced helium volition measurement down from the amusement astatine the extremity of this play aft 25 years arsenic host.

A caller four-year woody for the BBC to aerial Premier League highlights volition statesman adjacent season.

"I consciousness this is present the close time," Lineker said of his decision. "I deliberation [with] the adjacent [highlights] contract, they're looking to bash Match of the Day somewhat differently, truthful I deliberation it makes consciousness for idiosyncratic other to instrumentality the helm."

After leaving Match of the Day, Lineker volition enactment with the BBC to beforehand sum of adjacent season's FA Cup and the 2026 men's World Cup.

Speaking connected his podcast The Rest Is Football, helium said this week's announcement was "basically quality of an other twelvemonth contract" for him astatine the BBC.

"I ever thought my adjacent happening would beryllium the end. I've been reasoning astir it for a agelong time. I've done Match of Day for 25 years. It's been an implicit joyousness and a privilege to contiguous specified an iconic amusement for the BBC.

"But each things person to travel to an end."

The commencement of the caller rights woody volition supply an due clip to marque a alteration connected Match of the Day, helium added.

"The [rights] rhythm starts from adjacent season, truthful it felt similar if I conscionable bash 1 much twelvemonth would a spot weird.

"So I deliberation to get a antithetic presenter successful spot would beryllium astir apt omniscient not conscionable for me, but surely for the BBC arsenic well.

"But I truly wanted to decorativeness connected a large tourney [and] bash the FA Cup arsenic well. So you've not rather got escaped of maine conscionable yet."

Speaking to co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, helium added that helium volition beryllium 65 erstwhile his BBC enactment ends. "So it's pension time."

He thanked viewers for the messages helium had received, and noted that "so galore kind" articles had been published.

"It did consciousness similar I'd died and I was seeing my obituaries early. But it's nice. It's been lovely. And everyplace I go, radical are saying beauteous things.

"It's a spot similar successful shot - Alan and myself, with England, you bowed retired erstwhile you thought it was the close time, I bowed retired of my shot vocation erstwhile I felt it was the close time. And I consciousness this is present the close time."

The erstwhile England striker joked: "During my shot career, I felt I was calved to beryllium successful the box. And past I had to truly larn to beryllium connected the box. And to beryllium honest, astatine my age, it won't beryllium agelong until I'm successful a box."

He said helium would "probably get a small spot affectional towards the end" of his BBC career, but that he's "quite calm astatine the moment".

"It's been a spot bonkers and a spot mad," helium continued. "But I didn't deliberation it would beryllium rather the large woody that it was due to the fact that it's conscionable a feline that's done a TV amusement for a agelong time. It's thing much than that really."

Lineker's successor connected Match of the Day has not been announced, and helium said helium would "never archer publically my preference" to beryllium the caller host.

"But whoever it is, I would say, beryllium yourself... Just beryllium yourself and and bask it. It's a fantastic programme to beryllium portion of.

"It was superb earlier I took implicit and it volition beryllium superb aft I leave. So I would conscionable accidental that, truly - bask it, unrecorded it, and beryllium yourself."

Lineker said helium was present looking guardant to getting to furniture earlier connected a Saturday night.

"I'll spell retired for dinner, and you cognize what? I mightiness beryllium successful furniture earlier midnight. I'll inactive ticker Match of the Day, but I'll beryllium successful furniture consecutive aft it, alternatively than the three-hour travel home.

"So yeah, I look backmost and it's been an astonishing experience, and I consciousness incredibly fortunate."