Gary Lineker to leave Match of the Day & chase American dream? Ex-England star in 'could do' admission as questions continue to be asked of BBC future

The former England international, who is approaching his 64th birthday, has spent 25 years fronting the BBC’s flagship Premier League highlights show. Having accepted that position in 1999, he is now the highest-paid presenter on the BBC’s books.

There has been talk of Lineker’s current £1.3 million contract being his last, as MOTD bosses look to usher the iconic programme into an exciting new era, although there has been no official announcement from any of the parties involved.

Lineker has plenty on his plate away from Match of the Day and has told Esquire when asked if he would be open to moving into podcasts full-time – potentially cracking America in the process – if ties with the BBC were to be severed: "I could do. Whether that will be the case I don’t know. At some point, I have to slow down somewhere… I’m getting old."

Lineker already fronts ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast alongside fellow former England stars Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. He has greater freedom on that show to speak his mind, with it suggested that some of the comments made there have got him into trouble with BBC executives.