Gary Lineker is a well-known British TV presenter and former professional footballer for clubs such as Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur. As the lead anchor of the BBC's 'Match Of The Day' for twenty-six years, Gary was synonymous with integrity, clarity and an effortlessly poised presence. As a speaker, Gary shares fascinating stories from his time as a player, as well as valuable insights into leadership, motivation, and teamwork. He is also an engaging host and facilitator for award ceremonies and conferences. Backed by an illustrious career in sports and broadcasting, Gary is a reliable and experienced addition to any type of event.
Beginning his career at Leicester City, Gary worked his way up from the youth team to the first team, scoring ninety-five league goals during his time there. He later moved to league runners-up Everton, before joining Barcelona in 1986. That same year, he was the runner-up for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award and won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot. Whilst with Barcelona, Gary won the Copa del Rey Spanish domestic cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. In 1989, he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur, where he lifted the FA Cup trophy at Wembley Stadium. After scoring sixty-seven goals for Nagoya Grampus Eight, he officially retired from professional football and received the FIFA Fair Play Award in recognition of never receiving a yellow or red card in his career.
Going from football to broadcasting, Gary joined the BBC as the lead anchor of 'Match Of The Day'. He stayed in this role for twenty-six years and became a weekly staple in football analysis and commentary. Gary also co-founded 'Goalhanger Podcasts', the UK's largest independent podcast production network. With over 750 million full-episode streams annually and 250,000 paid monthly subscribers, the network secured a broadcasting deal for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With their flagship podcast, 'The Rest Is Football', they signed a £14 million deal with Netflix to broadcast daily during the tournament.
Having built a podcasting empire and been inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, Gary has established himself as a leading voice within football broadcasting. Drawing on his successful playing career, he shares behind-the-scenes stories and connects them to wider themes of leadership, motivation and teamwork. Ideal for after-dinner talks, awards hosting, and industry conferences, Gary captivates audiences with his humour, warmth and engaging storytelling. Hire Gary for your next event; contact Champions Speakers today!
Social Media
Books
Match of the Day: Top 10 of Everything
50 Times Football Changed the World
Still Dreaming: My Inside Account of the 2010 World Cup
Gary Lineker's official speaking topics are listed below:
- Motivation
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Host
- Awards
- 2026 - Signed a £14 million deal with Netflix to broadcast 'The Rest Is Football' podcast daily during the World Cup
- 2026 - Donated £10,000 to save the England men's amputee team's World Cup campaign
- 2025 - Concluded his historic 26-year run as the main host of BBC's 'Match of the Day'
- 2018 - Co-founded 'Goalhanger Podcasts', building the UK's largest independent podcast network
- 2003 - Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
- 2002 - Led a consortium to invest in Leicester City, saving his former club from bankruptcy
- 1999 - Appointed as the lead anchor for BBC's flagship football show, 'Match of the Day'
- 1994 - Formally retired from professional football after concluding his final career stint with Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight
- 1992 - Signed with Nagoya Grampus Eight after scoring 67 goals across three seasons with Tottenham Hotspur
- 1991 - Lifted the FA Cup trophy at Wembley Stadium with Tottenham Hotspur
- 1990 - Honoured with the FIFA Fair Play Award for never receiving a single yellow or red card in his career
- 1989 - Transferred to Tottenham Hotspur
- 1989 - Won the European Cup Winners' Cup with Barcelona
- 1988 - Won the Copa del Rey Spanish domestic cup with Barcelona
- 1986 - Won the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer in Mexico
- 1986 - Runner-up for the Ballon d'Or award after transferring from Everton to Barcelona
- 1985 - Transferred to reigning league runners-up Everton after scoring 95 league goals for childhood club Leicester City
- 1980 - Formally established himself in the first team after rising through the youth system at Leicester City
How to hire Gary Lineker
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Gary Lineker for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
