Gary Lineker has certainly put his name on the map, from an impressive football career to becoming one of the most recognisable sports broadcasters.
During his football career, Gary, 63, played for a whopping 80 times for the England team and scored 48 goals for his nation. He is also the only footballer to have been the top goalscorer in England across three clubs, Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
The football star scored 95 times for Leicester and 67 times for Tottenham, he also had a stint playing for Barcelona in Spain. In 1994, Gary retired from the sport but it was far from over for the footballer.
Recognised TV host
Gary, who hails from Leicester, went on to build a successful career in broadcasting and has hosted the incredibly popular football show Match Of The Day since 1999. When he joined, Gary became BBC Sport's highest-paid presenter.
This isn't the only presenting gig the star has secured, having been appointed as the host for BBC's golf show Masters and The Open in 2005. He's also provided World Cup, European Championship and FA Cup coverage for the BBC on numerous occasions, along with presenting at the 2012 London Olympics and annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony.
Away from the BBC, Gary has also presented on Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live NBC Sports Network. The 63 year old has also fronted BT Sport’s coverage of the Champions League from 2015 to 2021.
Walkers TV adverts
Away from football and presenting, many of us will remember when Gary became the iconic face of the Leicester-based snack company Walkers Crisps. The former footballer is said to have originally signed a contract with the brand in 1994 for £200,000.
His Walkers TV advert made its debut in 1995 called "Welcome Home". In the late 90s, the brand temporarily named their salt and vinegar crisps after Gary, calling them "Salt & Lineker".
Gary's time with the brand was so successful that in 2000, his Walker commercials were ranked ninth in Channel 4's poll of The Greatest TV Ads. From all of his successes, Gary is bound to have secured himself an impressive net worth.
Net worth
It is thought that Gary has a net worth of around £30 million. In 2020, he signed a £1.2 million three year deal to continue being the face of Walkers Crisps.
During his time at the BBC in 2021 and 2022, it has been reported that he earned £1.35 million. Before this in 2019, he took home a whopping £1.75 million – his salary was reduced in 2020 following a voluntary pay cut of 23% reports The Sun.
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