Soccer-From penalty area poacher to presenter and podcaster, Lineker hit target

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LONDON (Reuters) – Former England captain Gary Lineker’s soccer career was not so shoddy, but it is his activities off the pitch – from his TV punditry to his own growing podcast empire – that have turned him into a truly national figure.

Which is why the news that Lineker’s 25-year stint as presenter of Match of the Day – the BBC’s flagship soccer highlights show – will come to an end at the conclusion of the current season has been front and back page news across Britain.

“What a Finish” was the banner headline on the front page of The Sun on Tuesday, a phrase often heard during a Lineker’s playing career which began at Leicester City and included stops at Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur.

Lineker, the archetypal penalty area predator, hung up his boots in 1994 having scored 331 goals in 654 competitive games, including 48 for England which at the time made him the second-highest goal scorer for his country behind Bobby Charlton.

Rather than fade into the shadows, however, Lineker embarked on a media career that has taken him way beyond the realms of soccer, made him a household name and the BBC’s highest-earning presenter.

In a ever-polarised world, he has never been shy of raising his head above the parapet with his observations on issues both in Britain and across the world.

An outspoken voice of the Remain vote during the bruising Brexit times in Britain, Lineker has also voiced support for immigrants and Palestinians – often coming into conflict with the BBC’s impartiality rules.

His presenting skills earned him big-money deals with the likes of BT Sport for their Champions League coverage while in 2014 he established his own aptly named Goalhanger production company.

It produces the highly popular “The Rest Is…” podcasts on topics including Football, History and Politics.

The end of Lineker’s playing career coincided helpfully with the explosion of interest in the Premier League and his path into the media world began as a somewhat wooden radio presenter on BBC Radio Five Live.

Lineker himself describes his early forays into radio were “appalling” and admits to “stumbling” through his early days in front of a TV camera. But the powers that be saw something worth moulding and Linker began to grow into his new career.

His under-stated wit began to surface on the irreverent sports TV series They Think It’s All Over and in 1999 a polished Lineker was entrusted with hosting Saturday night soccer highlights show Match of the Day following the retirement of the much-loved Desmond Lynam.

Lineker’s astute observations and easy banter with the likes of pundits such as fellow former England captain Alan Shearer have helped keep Match of the Day a staple for millions of British households despite almost blanket live TV coverage on subscription platforms.

Increasingly, Lineker expanded his sporting portfolio, heading up the BBC’s golf coverage and he was the face of the corporation’s coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.

He will continue to host the BBC’s FA Cup coverage next season and the BBC’s 2026 World Cup coverage.