Gary Lineker
England's golden boot winner and fair play icon.
Gary Winston Lineker (born 30 November 1960) is an English sports broadcaster, businessman, and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of England's greatest players, Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three clubs: Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur. He also played for Barcelona in Spain, and won 80 caps for England.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Gary Winston Lineker
- Born
- 30 November 1960
- Birthplace
- Leicester, England
- Height
- 1.77 m / 5 ft 10 in
- Position
- Striker
- Total caps
- 461
- Total goals
- 238
Lore & Background
Lineker began his football career at Leicester City in 1978, and finished as the First Division's joint top goalscorer in 1984–85. He then moved to league champions Everton, where he won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards in his debut season, before moving to Spanish club Barcelona, where he won the 1987–88 Copa del Rey. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1989, and won his second FWA Footballer of the Year. Lineker's final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight; he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side. Lineker never won a top-flight league title.
Reader's Guide
Lineker made his England debut in 1984, earning 80 caps and scoring 48 goals over an eight-year international career. His six goals in the 1986 World Cup made him the tournament's top scorer, receiving the Golden Boot, and he came second in the 1986 Ballon d'Or. Lineker was again integral to England's progress to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup, scoring another four goals. He never received a yellow or red card during his career. He was honoured in 1990 with the FIFA Fair Play Award. In a senior career which spanned 16 years and 654 competitive games, Lineker scored a total of 331 goals, including 283 goals at club level.
Did You Know?
- He scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over archrivals Real Madrid while at Barcelona.
- He led a consortium in 2002 that invested in Leicester City, saving it from bankruptcy.
More in Legendary Players & Icons
Elsewhere in FC Barcelona
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced