![Who is Gary Lineker? All you need to know about the Richest journalist in English football [Profile, Net Worth, Age, Career, Pictures]](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/08122023/f9b8e041-3866-4bdc-9993-d619dbb97341.png?operations=fit(480:))
Gary Lineker is widely considered as the richest journalist in English football and here's all you need to know about him.
Gary Lineker Background
Gary Lineker is a retired English footballer who played as a striker and is widely regarded as one of the country's greatest goal-scorers.
Lineker had a successful football career, notably playing for clubs like Leicester City, Everton, and Barcelona.
After retiring from professional football, he transitioned to a career in sports broadcasting and is best known as the host of the popular football analysis show, "Match of the Day," in the United Kingdom.
Gary Lineker Profile
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Full name: Gary Winston Lineker (OBE)
Gender: Male
Birth date: November 30, 1960
Nationality: England
Place of birth: Leicester, United Kingdom
Age: 63 years old (as of 2023)
Height: 5 ft 10in (1.77 m)
Marital status: Michelle Cockayne (M.1986, div. 2006), Danielle Bux (M. 2009, div. 2016)
Eye Colour: Light Brown
Hair Colour: Salt and Peppers
Net Worth: US$35 million (est)
Instagram: @garylineker | X: @GaryLineker | Facebook: @officialgarylineker | TikTok: None
How old is Gary Lineker?
Gary Lineker is 63 years old as of 2023.
Gary Lineker Education
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Gary Lineker attended the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School (now known as the City of Leicester College) in England.
His early education laid the foundation for his academic pursuits and budding football career.
Lineker was equally talented at both football and cricket.
From the ages of 11 to 16 he captained the Leicestershire Schools cricket team, and had felt that he had a higher chance of succeeding at it rather than football.[
He later stated on They Think It's All Over that as a teenager he idolised former England captain David Gower, who was playing for Leicestershire at the time.
During his youth he played for Aylestone Park Youth, later becoming the club's president.
Lineker left school with four O Levels.
One of his teachers wrote on his report card that he "concentrates too much on football" and that he would "never make a living at that".
He then joined the youth academy at Leicester City in 1976.
Gary Lineker Parents
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Gary Lineker was born in Leicester, to Barry Lineker (father) and Margaret P. (Abbs) (mother).
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He was given his middle name in honour of Winston Churchill, with whom he shares a birthday.
He has one brother, Wayne, who is two years his junior. Lineker grew up with his family in the city, playing football with Wayne.
Lineker’s father was a greengrocer, as were their grandfather William and great-grandfather George, in Leicester.
Barry Lineker ran Lineker's fruit and veg stall in Leicester Market, and as a child and a young player Gary regularly helped out on the stall.
Gary Lineker Career
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Gary Lineker's football career is marked by prolific goal-scoring, both on the domestic and international stages.
Lineker began his professional football journey with his hometown club, Leicester City, in 1978.
He was the First Division's joint top scorer in 1984–85 with 24 goals,having enjoyed a prolific partnership with Alan Smith.
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His goal-scoring prowess quickly attracted attention, leading to a transfer to Everton in 1985, where he played a key role in the team's success.
Lineker scored three hat-tricks for Everton; at home to Birmingham City in a 4–1 league win on 31 August 1985, at home to Manchester City in a 4–0 win on 11 February 1986, and then in the penultimate league game of the season on 3 May 1986, when they kept their title hopes alive with a 6–1 home win over Southampton.
However, Lineker's global recognition soared during his stint with Barcelona (1986-1989), where he showcased his skill and goal-scoring ability on the international stage.
He won the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where he led England to the quarterfinals.
His memorable hat-trick against Poland in the group stage remains one of the iconic moments in English football history.
After winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Lineker was signed by Barcelona for £2.8 million.
Lineker scored 21 goals in 41 games during his first season, including a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over archrivals Real Madrid.
He made his Barcelona debut against Racing Santander, scoring twice.
Barcelona went on to win the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1989.
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With 42 goals in 103 La Liga appearances, Lineker became the highest scoring British player in the competition's history, but was later surpassed by Gareth Bale in March 2016.
After his time in Spain, Lineker returned to England and joined Tottenham Hotspur in 1989.
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His time at Tottenham saw further success, including winning the FA Cup in 1991.
His last goal in English football came on the last day of the season in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Lineker retired from professional football in 1994 after a brief spell with Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan.
He retired from international football with 80 caps and 48 goals, one fewer goal than Sir Bobby Charlton's England record (which Charlton accrued over 106 caps).
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Lineker has consistently stated since retiring from football that this Everton team was the best club side he ever played in.
Post-retirement, Lineker seamlessly transitioned into a successful career in sports broadcasting.
His amiable personality and insightful analysis made him a natural fit for television, and he became the host of the long-running BBC show "Match of the Day" in 1999.
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Lineker's contribution to football extends beyond the pitch, as he continues to be a prominent figure in the footballing world through his media presence and philanthropic efforts.
In recognition of his contributions to the sport, Gary Lineker was awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1990, and he received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1992.
His impact on and off the field solidifies Lineker's status as a football legend and a respected figure in the world of sports.
Gary Lineker Net Worth
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As of 2023, Gary Linker has a net worth estimated at $US35 million as per figures from Celebrity Net Worth.
Lineker is widely considered as the richest football journalist in the UK, the highest-paid English sports journalist in the world, and one of the richest sports journalists in the world in 2023.
How does Gary Lineker make his money?
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Lineker primarily makes his wealth from his job as a sports journalist.
He is one of the biggest names in English journalism as of 2023.
Lineker developed a career in the media, initially on the BBC for Radio 5 Live and as a football pundit.
He appeared as a team captain on the sports game show They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 2003.
In 1999, he replaced Lynam as the BBC's anchorman for football coverage, including its flagship football television programme Match of the Day, becoming BBC Sport's highest paid presenter.
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As of 2023, Gary Linker is reportedly the highest-paid BBC presenter and has been for several years; receiving payments of £1.75–1.76 million each year between 2016 and 2020, and approximately £1.35 million in 2020-21.
Lineker has appeared in television commercials for the Leicester-based snack company Walkers.
In May 2014, Lineker established his own production company Goalhanger Films Ltd. with former ITV Controller Tony Pastor.
He also operates Goalhanger Podcasts, which produces The Rest is History, The Rest is Politics and his own podcast, The Rest is Football, which he hosts with former footballers Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
Gary Lineker Social Media
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As of 2023, Gary Lineker is the most-followed English football journalist in the world.
Lineker, an avid fan of Lionel Messi and Leicester City, currently boasts over 1.2 million followers on Instagram alone.
He also boasts well over 8.9 million followers on the X platform formerly known as Twitter (the most for any English journalist in the world) and more than 120,000 followers on Facebook.
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