Gary Lineker’s net worth and Match of the Day salary as presenter quits BT Sport
After six years of presenting duties, Gary Lineker will relinquish his role as the host of BT Sport's coverage of Champions League football.
The ex-Tottenham striker took to social media to confirm the news in a touching statement to keep his fans updated on his imminent departure, announcing that he will step down from the job after Saturday night's Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea.
Lineker was originally unveiled as the figurehead of BT Sport’s Champions League coverage back in 2015, alongside a number of top pundits such as Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves.
Despite his playing career falling just outside of the drastic rise in wages that followed the inception of the Premier League, Lineker has still managed to amass quite the fortune from both his days as a player and his lengthy career in television.
According to reports, Lineker boasts a net worth of £30m, which includes the £3m a year he pocketed during his time at BT Sport.
For the last 22 years, Lineker has also presented the most beloved football broadcast in the country in Match of the Day, where he receives a £1.75million yearly salary from the BBC.
In September of 2020, Lineker was one of many BBC stars who took a 23 per cent pay cut to continue as host for the next half a decade, which was confirmed when the broadcaster released its Annual Report.
Lineker's emotional social media farewell read: "Porto's mouth-watering all-English final this weekend will be my final Champions League show for BT Sport.
"I've loved hosting the best club tournament in world football and I'm genuinely proud of being part of their truly ground-breaking coverage over the past six years."
The Match of the Day host also shed light on the reasoning behind his exit, explaining: "I would like to thank BT Sport for the generous renewal offer, but after much thought, I have decided to call it a day.
"I feel it is time to do things that I have always promised myself I would do, such as follow Leicester across Europe with my sons (how many opportunities will we have?)."
Lineker signed off with "A big thank you to everyone at BT Sport, both in front of the camera and behind. You're one hell of a team. It's been a joy working with you. Well played."
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