Gary Lineker retains crown as BBC's highest-paid presenter

Lineker, per The Sun, has once again topped the BBC's pay league, doing so for the eighth successive year. Per their report, the former Tottenham and Barcelona striker earned over £1.3m before leaving the corporation, to be replaced as Match of the Day host by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan, and Kelly Cates.

A number of industry figures also feature on the list - including the likes of radio presenter Zoe Ball and Newsnight host Fiona Bruce - but there is just one other ex-footballer turned pundit: Alan Shearer. The ex-Newcastle striker has worked with Lineker repeatedly, and still does on The Rest is Football podcast. He is the third-highest paid presenter, with a salary of £440,000 ($589,000).

Lineker earns significantly more than Chapman, who is set to replace him; the latter earned £325,000 ($435,000) last year. Given that MOTD have also struck a deal to appoint Wayne Rooney as a pundit, for £800,000 ($1m), significant sums are being spent to revamp the show.

Lineker will continue to diversify his interest, as he continues to work on his own podcast away from the BBC.