Gary Lineker was reduced to tears as he bid an emotional goodbye to the BBC after a 25-year run as Match of the Day presenter.

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Final show taken in as MOTD presenterEmotional night for ex-England strikerFinal year of BBC contract has been terminatedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

It has been confirmed that the former England international will be severing ties with the BBC after walking away from the final year of his lucrative contract on the back of a social media misstep where he shared an antisemitic image on his Instagram story, which was later deleted. Lineker has insisted it was accidental.

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He had been due to spend another year with the BBC, taking him through FA Cup and World Cup coverage in 2025-26. The 64-year-old – who has already moved into the world of podcasts – is now readying himself for a fresh start.

It had previously been confirmed that Lineker would be leaving MOTD at the end of the 2024-25 season, with his final show in that chair seeing him joined by Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. Tribute messages were received from ex-players and former team-mates such as Ian Wright, Paul Gascoigne and Peter Shilton.

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WHAT GARY LINEKER SAID

When signing off for the final time, Lineker struggled to keep his emotions in check, with tears finally flowing as the credits rolled on an iconic Premier League highlights show. Lineker said in his last piece to camera: "Let me take this opportunity to thank all of the other pundits that I have had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years. You have made my job so much easier.

"Also, a huge thank you to those that you don’t see at home – the work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. From the editors to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to subs, thank you all, you are the very best. Rather like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits."