Gary Lineker

Verified Timeline

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 and the 1989 European Cup Winners' Cup. He joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1989, and won his second FWA Footballer of the Year and the FA Cup, his only major trophy in English football. Lineker's final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight; he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side. Lineker made his England debut in 1984, earning 80 caps and scoring 48 goals over an eight-year international career, which made him England's second-highest goalscorer on his retirement. He remains England's fourth-highest scorer, behind Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Bobby Charlton, and his goals-to-games ratio remains one of the best for the country. 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. Lineker never received a yellow or red card during his career, and he also never won a top-flight league title. 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. After his retirement from football he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. A keen supporter of Leicester City, he led a consortium in 2002 that invested in his old club, saving it from bankruptcy, and was appointed honorary vice-president.

In Their Own Story

The 1988 Copa del Rey final was a high point for Lineker at Barcelona. The club had crashed out of the Copa del Rey at the first hurdle the previous season, but under Aragonés they won the trophy in 1988. Lineker finished the league season with 16 goals in 35 games. However, the club's league form was inconsistent, finishing 6th. The following season under Cruyff, Barcelona improved to second place, but Lineker lost his place in the side. He left for Tottenham Hotspur in 1989, having scored 20 goals in 40 league games in his first season and 16 in 35 in his second, with his final season seeing reduced playing time.

Reader's Guide

Lineker's media career began with the BBC, where he presented the flagship football programme Match of the Day from 1999 until 2025, the longest tenure of any MOTD presenter. He was also the BBC's lead presenter for live football matches, including coverage of international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup. He has also worked for Al Jazeera Sports, Eredivisie Live, NBC Sports Network, and BT Sport's coverage of the UEFA Champions League. In 2018, he cofounded Goalhanger, a media company that primarily produces podcasts, notably several under 'The Rest is...' brand.

Did You Know?

• Lineker was born on 30 November 1960 in Leicester, and his middle name Winston was given in honour of Winston Churchill, with whom he shares a birthday.
• He never received a yellow or red card during his entire professional career.
• Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three different clubs: Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur.
• He scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over archrivals Real Madrid during his time at Barcelona.
• Lineker led a consortium in 2002 that invested in his old club Leicester City, saving it from bankruptcy.