Gary Lineker

1.1. Childhood and Education

Lineker initially attended Caldecote Road School (Caldecote Juniors) in Braunstone, Leicester. He then moved to the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School (now City of Leicester College) in Evington, a choice influenced by his preference for football over rugby, which was the primary sport at most schools closer to his home. During his youth, Lineker displayed exceptional talent in both football and cricket. From the ages of 11 to 16, he captained the Leicestershire Schools cricket team and at one point felt he had a greater chance of succeeding professionally in cricket than in football. He later cited former England cricket captain David Gower, then playing for Leicestershire County Cricket Club, as a teenage idol. He also played for Aylestone Park F.C. Youth during his youth, later becoming the club's president.

Lineker left school having achieved four O Levels. One of his teachers notably wrote on his report card that he "concentrates too much on football" and would "never make a living at that." Despite this, he joined the youth academy at Leicester City F.C. in 1976, marking the beginning of his professional football journey.

2.1. Leicester City (1978-1985)

Lineker began his professional career at his hometown club, Leicester City, turning professional in the 1978-79 season. He made his senior debut on New Year's Day 1979 in a 2-0 victory over Oldham Athletic at Filbert Street in the Football League Second Division. A year later, he earned a Second Division title medal, making 19 appearances. However, Leicester was relegated straight back down, and Lineker played only nine league games in the 1980-81 season.

He became a regular player in the 1981-82 season, scoring 19 goals across all competitions. Although Leicester narrowly missed out on promotion that season, they reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The club secured promotion a year later, with Lineker scoring 26 goals in the Second Division. In the 1983-84 season, he played regularly in the First Division for the first time, finishing as the division's second-highest scorer with 22 goals. In the 1984-85 season, he was the First Division's joint top scorer with 24 goals, forming a highly effective partnership with Alan Smith. His consistent goal-scoring attracted attention from larger clubs, making a move from Filbert Street almost certain.

2.2. Everton (1985-1986)

In the summer of 1985, reigning league champions Everton signed Lineker for 800.00 K GBP. In his debut season, the 1985-86 campaign, he was an immediate success, scoring 40 goals in 57 appearances across all competitions. His first game for Everton was coincidentally against his former club, Leicester City, where he famously walked into the Leicester dressing room by mistake at half-time.

Lineker was again the First Division's leading goalscorer, netting 30 goals, including three hat-tricks: against Birmingham City (4-1 win), Manchester City (4-0 win), and Southampton (6-1 win). Everton finished second in the league, just two points behind rivals Liverpool. The team also reached the FA Cup final for the third consecutive year but lost 3-1 to Liverpool, despite Lineker scoring an early goal by outpacing Alan Hansen. Reflecting on his time at Everton, Lineker stated, "I was only on Merseyside a short time, nine or 10 months in total really, but it was still a happy time personally, while professionally it was one of the most successful periods of my career. I still have an affinity towards Everton." He has also described this Everton team as the best club side he ever played in. For his outstanding performances, he received both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards in his debut season.

2.3. Barcelona (1986-1989)

Following his impressive performance and winning the World Cup Golden Boot at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Lineker was transferred to Barcelona for 2.80 M GBP. Barcelona was then managed by former Queens Park Rangers manager Terry Venables, who had also brought in Mark Hughes from Manchester United. This move offered Lineker his first opportunity to play European club football, as Leicester had never qualified for European competitions during his tenure, and Everton had been banned from the European Cup due to the Heysel disaster.

Lineker's World Cup success created high expectations at Camp Nou. He delivered a strong debut season, scoring 21 goals in 41 games, including a memorable hat-trick in a 3-2 victory over archrivals Real Madrid on 31 January 1987. He debuted for Barcelona against Racing Santander, scoring twice. Under Venables, Barcelona went on to win the 1987-88 Copa del Rey and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989, defeating Sampdoria in the final. However, Lineker also played in Barcelona's surprising home and away defeats to Dundee United.

When Johan Cruyff took over as Barcelona manager, he controversially moved Lineker from his natural center-forward position to play on the right side of midfield. This tactical shift meant Lineker was no longer an automatic starter in the team. Despite this, he maintained a notable goal-scoring record in La Liga, netting 42 goals in 103 appearances, which made him the highest-scoring British player in the competition's history until he was surpassed by Gareth Bale in March 2016.

2.4. Tottenham Hotspur (1989-1992)

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had expressed interest in signing Lineker to partner Mark Hughes in attack. However, Lineker opted to join Tottenham Hotspur in July 1989 for 1.10 M GBP. Over three seasons with Spurs, he scored 67 goals in 105 league appearances.

In the 1989-90 season, Lineker finished as the top scorer in the First Division with 24 goals, helping Spurs to a third-place finish. He finally secured a major English trophy when Tottenham won the 1991 FA Cup Final against Nottingham Forest with a 2-1 victory. In that match, Lineker had a goal controversially disallowed for offside and also had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Mark Crossley. His contribution to the FA Cup run was significant, particularly in the semi-final where he scored twice in a 3-1 win over fierce North London rivals Arsenal.

In the 1991-92 season, the last before the formation of the Premier League, Lineker was the second-highest goalscorer in the top division with 28 goals from 35 games, just behind Ian Wright who scored 29 goals in 42 games. Despite his personal success, Tottenham finished a disappointing 15th place. His last goal in English football came on the final day of that season in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

2.5. Nagoya Grampus Eight (1992-1994)

In November 1991, Lineker accepted a two-year contract offer from J1 League club Nagoya Grampus Eight. The transfer fee paid to Tottenham Hotspur was 2.00 M GBP. He officially joined Nagoya Grampus Eight after playing his final game for Spurs on 2 May 1992, where he scored a consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat by Manchester United. Shortly before accepting the offer, Tottenham had rejected a bid from ambitious Second Division club Blackburn Rovers, who had recently been acquired by steel baron Jack Walker.

Lineker's reported annual salary in Japan was around 300.00 M JPY. Before the inaugural J.League season in 1993, he played in friendly matches, scoring in games against Corinthians, Lazio, and Grêmio. His J.League debut in the opening match against Kashima Antlers was highly anticipated as a clash between star players, but Nagoya Grampus Eight suffered a 0-5 defeat, with Lineker failing to score. He recorded his first J.League assist in the second match against Urawa Red Diamonds, contributing to the team's first victory. His first J.League goal came on 26 May in the fourth match against Yokohama Flügels.

However, Lineker's time in Japan was significantly impacted by injuries, which limited his appearances. He scored only one league goal in his first year. In the J.League Cup, he scored a goal against Shimizu S-Pulse on 10 September and two goals against Yokohama F. Marinos on 25 September. In 1994, he largely missed the first stage due to injury but returned for the final match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. High expectations surrounded his partnership with Dragan Stojković, who joined in the second stage, but due to Lineker's persistent injuries, they played together in only four matches. He scored his first goal of the 1994 season on 13 August against Júbilo Iwata and followed with goals against Kashima Antlers on 3 September and Verdy Kawasaki on 7 September, which proved to be his final goal in professional football.

Having scored 9 goals in 23 appearances over two injury-plagued seasons for Nagoya Grampus Eight, Lineker announced his retirement from playing in September 1994. The English national media had previously speculated he might return to England to finish his career at Middlesbrough or Southampton. During his tenure in Japan, his second son was born there, and he has spoken fondly of Japan even decades after his retirement.

3.1. Early International Career and 1986 FIFA World Cup

Lineker made one appearance for the England national football B team on 13 November 1984, in a 2-0 home win against New Zealand's B team. He made his debut for the full England team against Scotland in 1984. His true international breakthrough came at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Despite playing most of the tournament with a lightweight cast on his forearm due to a wrist injury sustained just before the competition, he was the tournament's top scorer with six goals, earning him the World Cup Golden Boot, making him the first English player to achieve this feat.

His goals included the second-quickest hat-trick ever scored at a FIFA World Cup tournament against Poland in the group stage, making him the second English player to score a World Cup hat-trick. He also scored two goals against Paraguay in the second round. In the quarter-final against Argentina, Lineker scored for England, but the team lost 2-1 in a controversial match that saw Diego Maradona score both the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century." In 1988, Lineker participated in UEFA Euro 1988, but failed to score as England lost all three group games. It was later revealed that he had been suffering from hepatitis during this period.

3.2. 1990 FIFA World Cup and Captaincy

At the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, Lineker was again instrumental in England's progress, scoring four goals to help the team reach the semi-finals. During the opening group game against the Republic of Ireland, he accidentally defecated in his shorts, a memorable anecdote he later openly shared.

In the semi-final against West Germany, after Andreas Brehme put West Germany 1-0 up, Lineker received a pass from Paul Parker and evaded two West German defenders to score the equalizer. The match famously ended 1-1, with West Germany eventually triumphing in a penalty shoot-out. Lineker's iconic quote, "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win," encapsulated the defeat. His equalizer is also referenced in the popular England national team anthem, "Three Lions," with the lyric "When Lineker scored." After the 1990 World Cup, Lineker took over the captaincy from Bryan Robson.

3.3. International Retirement

Lineker retired from international football with 80 caps and 48 goals. This tally left him just one goal shy of Sir Bobby Charlton's England record (which Charlton achieved over 106 caps), a record that was later surpassed by Wayne Rooney in 2015. In what proved to be his final England match, against Sweden at UEFA Euro 1992, he was controversially substituted by England coach Graham Taylor in favor of Alan Smith. This decision visibly upset Lineker, as it denied him the opportunity to equal or break Charlton's record. He had previously missed a penalty that would have brought him level in a pre-tournament friendly against Brazil. Lineker is one of the very few players in football history who never received a yellow or red card throughout his entire professional career, a testament to his fair play.

4.1. Media Activities

Lineker's media career began shortly after he hung up his boots, establishing him as a prominent sports broadcaster and a familiar face in advertising and entertainment.

4.2. Philanthropy and Community Contribution

Lineker has dedicated significant time and resources to charitable causes, particularly those related to children's cancer, inspired by personal experience. In November 1991, his eldest son survived a rare form of leukaemia as a baby, receiving treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. This experience led Lineker to become a staunch supporter of children's cancer charities, including CLIC Sargent and Leukaemia Busters, where he and his first wife Michelle served as patrons from 1994 to 2005. He has also been involved with the Fight for Life and Cancer Research UK charities.

In 1995, Lineker was made a freeman of the City of Leicester and is often referred to as "Leicester's favourite son." In October 2002, he played a crucial role in rescuing his former club, Leicester City, from administration (bankruptcy). He spearheaded a 5.00 M GBP bid, describing his involvement as "charity" rather than an "ego trip," and personally invested a six-figure sum. He met with fans' groups to encourage fundraising efforts, ultimately helping to save the club from liquidation. He now holds the position of honorary Vice President of Leicester City F.C.

5.1. Family and Relationships

Lineker married Michelle Cockayne in 1986. They had four sons. In May 2006, Cockayne filed for divorce, citing Lineker's alleged "unreasonable behaviour" that caused her "stress and anxiety." The couple later stated the separation was amicable.

In 1985, Lineker served as the best man at the wedding of snooker player Willie Thorne, with whom he maintained a close friendship, which was documented in the VHS production Best of Friends - The Official Story of Gary Lineker & Willie Thorne.

Lineker married model Danielle Bux on 2 September 2009 in Ravello, Italy. On 13 January 2016, Lineker and Bux announced their divorce after six years of marriage. The reason cited was Lineker's reluctance to have more children, as he felt he was too old to start another family.

5.2. Other Personal Aspects

Beyond football, Lineker is a keen recreational golfer with a handicap of four. He also remains a big fan of cricket, a sport he excelled at in his youth, captaining the Leicestershire Schools cricket team.

Lineker is multilingual, speaking Spanish, which he learned during his time playing for FC Barcelona, and also has some proficiency in Japanese from his time in Japan. He is an advocate for the teaching of foreign languages in schools.

In November 2017, Lineker was named in the Paradise Papers due to his connection with a tax avoidance scheme involving property in Barbados and a company established in the British Virgin Islands. However, on 28 March 2023, he successfully won an appeal against HM Revenue and Customs regarding a 4.90 M GBP tax bill. The judge ruled that Lineker was a freelancer with contracts with the BBC and BT Sport, not an employee, thus overturning the tax authority's claim.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Lineker publicly announced a donation of 140.00 K GBP to the British Red Cross for research into the virus. In 1992, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours. He also received an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Loughborough University in 1992.

6.1. Expression of Early Political Views

Lineker has openly identified his political leanings. In December 2016, he was described by Angus Harrison of Vice News as "the British Left's Loudest Voice" for being "both staunchly liberal and resolutely unafraid of making his views known." Using a football analogy, Lineker defined his ideological position as making "more runs to the left than the right, but never felt comfortable on the wing." After the 2017 United Kingdom general election, he questioned if others felt "politically homeless," suggesting a desire for something "sensibly centrist."

He was a vocal supporter of the Remain campaign in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. In July 2018, he announced his support for People's Vote, a campaign group advocating for a public vote on the final Brexit deal between the UK and the European Union.

6.2. Refugee Policy and BBC Impartiality Debate

Lineker's public commentary has often focused on refugee and immigration policies. On 18 October 2016, he sharply criticized comments made by MP David Davies, who suggested refugees entering the UK should undergo dental checks to verify their age. Lineker tweeted that "The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What's happening to our country?" This statement led to calls from The Sun for his sacking from Match of the Day, accusing him of breaching BBC impartiality guidelines. However, a BBC spokesperson at the time stated that as Lineker was "not involved in any news or political output for the BBC," his personal political views did not compromise the BBC's impartiality.

In December 2018, Lineker was criticized by the BBC's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew for expressing his political views on Twitter, with Agnew suggesting Lineker should keep them to himself. In October 2022, a complaint about a tweet from Lineker that referred to donations to the Conservative Party was upheld by the BBC, on the grounds that it breached social media use guidelines and failed to meet editorial standards of impartiality.

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Lineker also drew criticism from Qatari lawyer Hassan Al-Thawadi for covering human rights violations in Qatar, who argued Lineker did not raise such issues with other host countries. In response, Lineker asserted on The News Agents podcast that he had covered issues in other host countries, and controversially characterized the United States, a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as an "extraordinarily racist country." These comments were subsequently criticized by Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan in January 2023 as "very derogatory questionable comments."

6.3. 2023 "Match of the Day" Suspension Controversy

In March 2023, Lineker became embroiled in a major controversy after criticizing the British government's asylum policy on Twitter. Commenting on a video message by then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman about stopping migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, Lineker stated that the message was "beyond awful" and described the government's policy as "an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."

These comments garnered immediate condemnation from some Conservative politicians, including Braverman herself. While a spokesperson for Labour leader Keir Starmer suggested that comparisons with 1930s Germany "aren't always the best way" to make an argument, Lineker received support from other political figures, including Baron Dubs, Alastair Campbell, and Angela Rayner. A BBC source indicated the corporation was taking the matter "seriously" and expected a "frank conversation" with Lineker. Lineker affirmed his stance, stating he stood by his comments and did not fear suspension from his BBC work.

On 10 March, the BBC announced that Lineker would "step back" from his role on Match of the Day, citing his recent social media activity as a breach of their guidelines. The BBC stated he would not present the program until an "agreed and clear position on his use of social media" was reached. In solidarity with Lineker, several of his BBC Sport colleagues, including Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Steve Wilson, Conor McNamara, Robyn Cowen, Steven Wyeth, Alex Scott, Jason Mohammad, Mark Chapman, Jermaine Jenas, Dion Dublin, and Jermain Defoe, pulled out of their respective roles in BBC programs. This widespread boycott forced the broadcaster to significantly reduce its sports-related schedules for 11 and 12 March, with Match of the Day airing without any hosts or studio presentation, showing only match footage. The disruption also affected the BBC World Service's English-language program Sportsworld, which was replaced by alternative programming.

The BBC and Lineker issued coordinated statements on 13 March, announcing that Lineker's suspension had ended. The BBC committed to initiating an independent review of its social media guidelines, particularly concerning their application to freelancers outside news. Lineker agreed to abide by the corporation's editorial guidelines until the review was completed.

6.4. Continued Political Commentary

Following the 2023 suspension controversy, Lineker has continued to use his social media platform to comment on political issues. On 21 November 2023, he shared an interview between Owen Jones and Raz Segal with the comment "Worth 13 minutes of anyone's time." In the interview, Segal stated that Israel's actions in the Israel-Hamas war constituted "a textbook case of genocide." Lineker's tweet was widely interpreted as an endorsement of Segal's views, leading to further debate and criticism from some media outlets and politicians, while also receiving support from others.

In December 2023, Lineker signed an open letter that criticized the UK government's controversial proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. This action again drew complaints to the BBC from political figures such as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson, and Jonathan Gullis, who accused him of violating impartiality rules.

8.1. Club Honours

• Leicester City
  • Football League Second Division: 1979-80
• Everton
  • FA Charity Shield: 1985
• Barcelona
  • Copa del Rey: 1987-88
  • European Cup Winners' Cup: 1988-89
• Tottenham Hotspur
  • FA Cup: 1990-91
  • FA Charity Shield: 1991 (shared)

8.2. International Honours

• England National Team
  • FIFA World Cup Fourth Place: 1990

8.3. Individual Awards

• English Football Hall of Fame: 2003
• PFA Team of the Century (1977-1996): 2007
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 1985-86
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 1985-86, 1991-92
• PFA Team of the Year: 1989-90 First Division, 1991-92 First Division
• English First Division top scorer: 1984-85, 1985-86, 1989-90
• English Second Division top scorer: 1982-83
• Ballon d'Or runner-up: 1986
• FIFA 100
• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1986
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1986
• Onze de Bronze: 1986
• Onze Mondial: 1986, 1987
• World XI: 1986, 1987
• FIFA World Player of the Year bronze award: 1991
• FIFA Fair Play Award: 1990
• FWA Tribute Award: 1997
• OBE (1992 New Year Honours)
• Honorary Master of Arts, Loughborough University: 1992
• Visiting Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford: 2020

9.1. Club Statistics

9.2. International Statistics