Gary Lineker’s ‘absolute shocker’ first Match of the Day appearance he hoped BBC wouldn’t show

Gary Lineker presents his final Match of the Day on Sunday evening, departing the BBC after 26 years of presenting, but his first appearance on the flagship show was one he hopes to forget

Gary Lineker has described his first appearance on Match of the Day as an “absolute shocker” that he had hoped the BBC wouldn’t air. Long before turning to the world of punditry, Lineker enjoyed a successful football career, breaking through the youth ranks of Leicester City before spending seven years with his boyhood club.

And it was during his early years as a professional footballer when he first appeared on the flagship BBC show with MOTD featuring the Foxes’ game with Aston Villa. Speaking to FourFourTwo about the showing, he said: “I remember the first time I was on Match of the Day.

“I had an absolute shocker. In those days, you only got one featured match, and we were playing at Aston Villa. The ball got knocked back, I was on the edge of the six-yard box, and I skied it over the crossbar.

“I was praying they wouldn’t show that, but of course they did.” Thankfully for the striker, his showing against Villa is one that many football fans will have forgotten about in the grand scheme of things, considering Lineker scored 61 goals for the club before moving on to Everton.

After a year at Goodison Park, Lineker spent three years with Barcelona, made a legend of himself at Tottenham by winning the FA Cup in 1991, and spent two years with Nagoya Grampus before retiring in 1994. Over the course of his career, he also racked up 48 goals in 80 appearances for England.

Shortly after retiring, Lineker stepped into the world of broadcasting as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live, before replacing Des Lynam as the face of Match of the Day in 1999 – and the rest is history. However, in November 2024, Lineker announced that he would part ways with his programme of 26 years at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, while staying on with the BBC to present FA Cup coverage and the 2026 World Cup.

A statement from BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski at the time read: “We’re delighted that he’ll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup. After 25 seasons, Gary is stepping down from MOTD.

“We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week. He’ll be hugely missed on the show, but we’re so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football.”

However, this week, it transpired that Lineker will cut ties with the BBC completely after Sunday’s showing of Match of the Day. Lineker recently received criticism for sharing a social media post about Zionism that included an emoji of a rat, which is historically used as an anti-Semitic insult.

While Lineker explained on Monday that he did not see the image and that he “would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic,” he also admitted that stepping away from the BBC was the right thing to do. He said: “Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember—both on the pitch and in the studio.

“I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything anti-semitic – it goes against everything I stand for. However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am.

“Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.” As a result, Lineker will no longer host the BBC’s FA Cup coverage, nor the broadcaster’s showing of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

It’s not the first time that Lineker has been in trouble with the BBC over his social media use. The 64-year-old was temporarily suspended by the corporation in March 2023 after comparing language used in the then-government’s migration policy to that used in Nazi Germany.

For the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, Lineker will be replaced by Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, as the BBC looks to put a new spin on one of their most successful footballing staples.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.