Gary Lineker celebrates his 65th birthday this Sunday with a broadcasting career that has lasted a decade longer than his one in football
Abbie Meehan Sports Writer U-35s
11:59, 30 Nov 2025
Gary Lineker speaking to Erik ten Hag(Image: BBC Sport)
Gary Lineker once put Erik ten Hag on the spot by asking if his FA Cup heroics were his final act of greatness for Manchester United in a memorable moment from his coveted career. The former Match of the Day host celebrates his 65th birthday this Sunday as fans continue to speculate about the iconic presenter’s retirement.
Lineker has had numerous memorable moments throughout his career, both on the football field and in the media. However, one moment that stands out is his blunt question following Manchester United’s FA Cup win in 2023.
The Red Devils defeated Manchester City 2-1 in the final with Ten Hag at the helm, and Lineker was quick to ask the important questions.
The former Tottenham star directly asked Ten Hag: “Do you think this was your last game?” to which the Dutchman replied: “I don’t know. For me, this is a project. When I came in, we were a mess; now we are in a better state.”
The question stunned viewers and almost seemed like a premonition of the future. Following United’s FA Cup win, Ten Hag struggled to continue a good run of form and was replaced by Ruben Amorim in November 2024.
READ MORE: Gary Lineker’s bitter 17-year feud with brother Wayne and the moment everything changedREAD MORE: Gary Lineker makes surprise Sky Sports TV appearance after controversial BBC exit
A poor league run ended with some European hope in the form of the Europa League final, but Lineker’s old team had the last laugh as Ange Postecoglou hoisted the trophy high with a 1-0 win.
Many things have changed for Lineker since that tense moment with Ten Hag. The former Barcelona star departed Match of the Day, a show he had been the main presenter of for 26 years.
Lineker now devotes most of his time to appearing on The Rest is Football podcast alongside friends and fellow ex-footballers Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. The 65-year-old also managed one of the teams in Baller League, Deportrio, before quitting the six-a-side indoor football tournament before the second season began.
The presenter hasn’t given up on his TV life, though; he has signed a deal with ITV to host The Box. The new show is a celebrity challenge-based entertainment series, described as a crossover between I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Gary Lineker has seen plenty of success across his broadcasting career(Image: Lia Toby/Getty Images for the NTA’s)
The former England star recently won the Best TV Presenter award at the National Television Awards (NTAs) in September, ending Ant and Dec’s 23-year winning streak in the category.
Reflecting on his life post-MOTD when accepting the award, Lineker said: “I’m doing great. I’m enjoying having weekends off for the first time in my adult life, which has been great fun.
“I’m still watching loads of football, still doing the same sort of things, and I’ve got a new show coming up for ITV, which I start filming next week – The Box, which goes out, I think, probably next year.”
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