Gary Lineker confirms he was behind huge MOTD change that 'stopped people moaning'

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has claimed he was responsible for a major change to the flagship show that has helped carry it through the last two decades. The BBC Premier League highlights programme is celebrating its 60th anniversary, with Lineker himself having now reached the landmark of hosting the coverage for 25 years.

But it hasn’t always been plain sailing for the Beeb. In 2001, they lost the rights to show Premier League footage to ITV, before regaining the privilege three years later.

And it was upon getting the rights back that broadcasters decided to shake up their original format. Previously, only highlights of selected matches were shown, with some games confined to just footage of goals.

But Lineker, 63, then pitched an idea to ensure the show appealed to a wider audience. "When it came back, when we got the rights back, I said, ‘Is there any way we could show all the games?’” he told BBC Breakfast.

And the former Everton, Tottenham, and Barcelona forward admitted to being relieved when bosses adhered to his request. “We found a way of doing it and I thought we finally won’t get people moaning that they’re never on Match of the Day,” he added.

However, the complaints didn’t end there, with Lineker regularly taking to social media now to joke with fans over which team will be shown first. Laughing, he said: “Of course then it becomes about where they are on Match of the Day, on the running order! 'We’re always last'.”

Lineker has become a pivotal face for the BBC, and remains the broadcaster’s top annual earner. And in 2016/17, he famously presented the opening MOTD show of the season in his underpants, sticking to his promise of the previous campaign that he would strip off on air if Leicester City won the Premier League title.

But in March 2023, his BBC future appeared in jeopardy after he criticised the British government's asylum policy on X, then known as Twitter. He was temporarily suspended by the station while they investigated the matter, prompting a boycott of the programme from fellow pundits.

As a result, the show aired in farcical circumstances, with no presentation, analysis, or commentary. Lineker duly returned the following week, having agreed to adhere to BBC social media guidelines while a review took place.

He’s now into the final year of his current deal, and has conceded he’s unaware of what the future holds. “It depends how long they want me,” he said. "I love doing it at the moment; I’ve still got another year left, at least.

"So we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Obviously it’s another change in football and television and the rights of the Premier League and stuff like that.

"All of these things will play a part. But I just feel it’s been an absolute privilege to have presented it for 25 years now.”