'No TV experience' - Gary Lineker aims dig at new BBC boss amid warning to leave Match of the Day alone as presenting exit nears

Lineker revealed he will step down from presenting the iconic show at the end of this Premier League season but before he departs, the 64-year-old has fired a parting shot at BBC's director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski. He says the former figurehead at The Athletic, who took up the role in April 2024, has "no TV experience" and that it is unwise to tinker with Match of the Day.

He told The Telegraph: “I think it has, and that’s what I was alluding to. He [Kay-Jelski] has his reasons, he wants to change Match of the Day a bit. Ultimately, I don’t think they will, because I don’t see how you move a highlights show away from being about highlights. I think he wants more journalists – he has come from that background. He has got no television experience.”

Long-time Match of the Day presenter Lineker, who admitted he sensed the BBC wanted him to leave, will be replaced by Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman, and Kelly Cates next season, but the ex-England striker will remain with the BBC until after the 2026 World Cup. Lineker has been the source of much controversy in recent years, and it seems he is not shying away from putting his head above the parapet in his final throes with the broadcaster.

Lineker will present Match of the Day for this season's penultimate round of fixtures this weekend, before signing out after 26 years in charge later this month.