I’ll Still Watch MOTD After I’m Replaced – Gary Lineker

Popular football pundit, Gary Lineker has come out to explain why he is leaving Match of the Day. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, he remembers bowing out of his football career when he felt the time was right, and same can be said of his punditry career as well.

Lineker added that he’ll still watch Match of the Day even after he steps down, but it makes sense for him to quit right now.

His words, “It felt like the right time. It came at a point really where 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.

So I think to get a different presenter in place, I think would be probably wise on not just for me, but certainly for the BBC as well. But I really wanted to finish on a major tournament, do the FA Cup as well. So you’ve not quite got rid of me just yet.

I bowed out my football career when I felt it was the right time and I feel this is now the right time. 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.

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 was the only person in the country that was pleased that he left for ITV because I thought I might get the job! So I would say, be yourself and enjoy it, it’s a wonderful program to be part of. And it was brilliant before I took over and it will be brilliant after I leave.

I’ll still watch Match of the Day, but I’ll be in bed straight after it rather than the three hour journey home!”

WOW.