Gary Lineker enjoyed a glittering playing career that span across 16 years, and has since carved out an incredibly successful career in broadcasting. Read on as we take a look at the Match of the Day host’s achievements, net worth, salary and endorsements.
Who Is Gary Lineker?
Gary Lineker is a former professional footballer, who played for the likes of Leicester City, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, and also represented England on 80 occasions across his 16-year senior playing career.
Lineker is widely regarded as one of all-time great strikers within the English game, and he was famously never shown a single yellow or red card throughout his entire career.
After hanging up his boots in 1994, Lineker took the leap into broadcasting and became the presenter of the iconic Match of the Day show in 1999, and has held the role ever since – the longest tenure of any presenter in the programme’s history.
The 62-year-old is also BBC’s lead presenter for live football matches for international tournaments, and has also worked for Al Jazeera Sports, Eredivisie Live, NBC Sports Network and BT Sport (now TNT Sports) for their coverage of the UEFA Champions League.
Gary Lineker Profile
- Date of Birth: 30th November, 1960
- Birthplace: Leicester, England
- Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.77m)
- Position: Striker
- Clubs: Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Nagoya Grampus
- Appearances: 461
- Goals: 238
Gary Lineker Net Worth
Across his impressive footballing career, and his successful media career, Celebrity Net Worth report that the ex-England international has amassed close to a £30million fortune (estimated £28.5million).
His hugely successful playing career would’ve seen him earn a more than healthy living, but it is believed that the football expert has made the majority of his riches from his media career.
Lineker has repeatedly been one of the top earners at the BBC over the years, and has also built his net worth thanks to a sponsorship deal that dates back almost 30 years.
He has famously been the face of Leicester-based crisp company Walkers since 1994, appearing in multiple television adverts promoting the company, with other media appearances across several different television programmes, series’, films and podcasts too.
Gary Lineker Match of the Day Salary
As previously alluded to, Lineker is the longest-serving presenter throughout the history of the iconic Match of the Day programme, and has since become the BBC’s highest earner.
In 2022, he was named the highest earner at the company for a fifth successive year, taking home a total of £1.36million, a decline from his previous salary of £1.75million for which he took a voluntary 23% pay cut in 2020, stating that it was ‘the right thing to do’ at the time.
For comparison, the BBC’s second highest earner is Radio 2 breakfast show host Zoe Ball, who earns an estimated £985,000 a year, with fellow Match of the Day star Alan Shearer following in third with a reported salary of around £450,000.
Lineker’s other work for the BBC includes hosting FA Cup programmes, along with major international tournaments such as the World Cup and European Championships, as well as presenting the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards show.
Gary Lineker Sponsorships and Endorsements
Lineker initially penned a £200,000 deal with Walkers in 1994 to become the face of the company, appearing in his first television advert for the snack-based brand in 1995.
The advert was titled ‘Welcome Home’ after the then-striker had returned to England after a spell with Japanese side Nagoya Grampus, with Walkers briefly renaming their salt and vinegar crisps to ‘Salt & Lineker’.
In 2000, his commercials with Walkers were ranked ninth in Channel 4’s poll of ‘The 100 Greatest TV Ads’, and he remains the face of the corporation after signing a new three-year deal for a reported £1.2million back in 2020.
Earlier in September 2023, Walkers released a new television commercial with Lineker no where to be seen, however a spokesperson for the company confirmed that there has been no change to his role or relationship with the brand, and that they continue to have a ‘successful partnership’.
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