Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBEis a retired English footballer and current sports broadcaster. He holds England's record for goals in FIFA World Cup finals, with 10 scored. Lineker's media career began with the BBC, where he has presented the flagship programme Match of the Day since the late 1990s. He has also worked for Al Jazeera Sports, Eredivisie Live, NBC Sports Network and currently hosts BT Sport's coverage of the UEFA Champions League...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth30 November 1960
CityLeicester, England
I know I could never be in a pop band. I honestly have an appalling voice.
If someone in the crowd spits at you, you have just got to swallow it.
There's no in between-you're either good or bad. We were in between.
The whole kiss-and-tell thing is a negative approach that often happens in a World Cup. We will see negative stories about the players and it can affect their confidence and the overall performance of the national team on the pitch, let alone the bid to actually stage the competition.
That's one of the magical things about the Olympics, Team GB will have someone challenging in a sport that we've never watched and all of a sudden it'll be the biggest thing ever.
The World Cup is every four years, so it's going to be a perennial problem.
When I see old photos of me on the beach I don't look too bad... but it's hard trying to breathe in for such a long time when I spot the photographers!
I was quite good at football once, although other than that my speciality would be maths. I'm great at sudokus and find all the spin-off games pretty easy too.
A handball is when your hand touches the ball.
...an excellent player, but he [Ian Wright] does have a black side.
My fiancee's brother-in-law was recently paralysed in an accident and it really brought home the fact that thousands of young people live with spinal injuries. It's an issue I wish had more coverage.
I just think to be a manager you've got to live and breathe and have this incredible enthusiasm for football, the whole thing. And while I love the game, and it's been a large part of my life, it's not the only thing in my life.
Messi doesn't have to do it in the Premier League to prove himself. The Champions League is the ultimate club competition. If he was in the Premier League, he'd be the best player by some distance.
Speaking Spanish and Japanese has opened doors in my career and helped me bridge cultural differences, both in my personal and business life. During my football career I realised quickly what difference language skills can make