Lineker's emotional farewell to Match of the Day

Gary Lineker held backmost tears arsenic he signed disconnected from his last version of Match of nan Day aft 26 years successful nan basking spot and officially near nan BBC.

The big announced successful November that he would time off nan shot show astatine nan extremity of nan Premier League season, which concluded connected Sunday.

He had been owed to stay pinch nan BBC to beforehand sum of nan men's FA Cup and nan World Cup, but has now near nan corp wholly aft apologising for sharing an antisemitic societal media post.

On his swansong, Lineker apparently made a motion to nan controversy, opening nan show by saying "it wasn't meant to extremity this way" - earlier going connected to move nan statement into a reference to nan last time of nan season.

At nan extremity of nan programme, Lineker was presented pinch a commemorative headdress and aureate footwear by pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

"It's been an absolute privilege to person hosted Match of nan Day for a 4th of a century. It's been utterly joyous," he said, thanking nan full accumulation team.

Speaking straight into nan camera to viewers astatine home, he added: "And my last convey you goes to each of you.

"Thank you for watching, convey you for each your emotion and support complete nan years.

"It's been truthful special, and I'm sorry that your squad was ever connected last. Time to opportunity goodbye."

The erstwhile England guardant replaced Des Lynam arsenic nan main presenter of nan BBC's flagship shot programme successful 1999, and went connected to go its highest-paid presenter.

He deed nan headlines for airing his opinions beyond shot connected societal media, however.

He was suspended successful 2023 for a station astir nan then-government's asylum policy, pinch galore chap BBC Sport presenters and pundits stepping retired successful support.

After Lineker was reinstated, nan BBC issued caller rules for presenters posting connected societal media.

Earlier this month, Lineker was criticised for sharing a societal media station astir Zionism that included an illustration of a rat, historically utilized arsenic an antisemitic insult.

Lineker apologised, saying he had not seen nan image and "would ne'er consciously repost thing antisemitic".

However, it was past announced he would time off nan BBC earlier than expected, and that Sunday's show would beryllium his last.

In a connection astatine nan time, Lineker said shot had been "at nan bosom of my life" and that he cared profoundly astir nan crippled and his BBC work, but he recognised "the correction and upset that I caused".

"Stepping backmost now feels for illustration nan responsible people of action," he said.

BBC head wide Tim Davie thanked Lineker for being "a defining sound successful shot sum for nan BBC for complete 2 decades", and said they had "agreed he will measurement backmost from further presenting aft this season".

Lineker's last section successful nan presenter's chair connected Sunday saw him question and reply Liverpool head Arne Slot arsenic they collected nan Premier League trophy.

Slot paid tribute, saying: "Thank you for being specified a awesome presenter of a BBC show that I watched galore times erstwhile I lived successful Holland, and now still."

The show began pinch a montage of erstwhile Everton and Spurs striker Lineker's goals and later looked backmost connected highlights of his clip astatine nan helm of Match of nan Day.

This included him famously presenting a conception while wearing only his Leicester City boxer shorts, arsenic he had promised, aft his boyhood squad won nan Premier League successful 2016.

His longstanding sidekicks Shearer and Richards besides paid tribute astatine nan end, introducing a montage that included testimonies from nan likes of Alan Hansen, Ian Wright and Paul Gascgoine arsenic good arsenic nan precocious Johan Cruyff, vocalist Andrea Bocelli and Lineker's sons.

"You don't judge it but you will beryllium missed," offered Manchester City head Pep Guardiola successful nan aforesaid VT, while Liverpool skipper Virgil Van Dijk described nan outgoing big arsenic "a legend."

"You've been awesome to maine and you've been unbelievable to Match of nan Day," added Shearer. "So immoderate you take to do connected Saturdays, bully luck, and we'll miss you."

In January, it was revealed that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan would jointly return complete Match of nan Day presenting responsibilities from nan commencement of nan 2025-26 season.

"I'd for illustration to wish Gabby, Mark and Kelly each nan very champion erstwhile they beryllium successful this chair," Lineker said.

"The programme is successful nan champion of hands."