Jeff Stelling's bold nine-word assessment of BBC's Gary Lineker as he exits Match of the Day

Broadcasting titan Jeff Stelling has hailed Gary Lineker as the best in the business, ahead of his departure from Match of the Day. In his newly-published memoir, Saturday Afternoon Fever, the Soccer Saturday stalwart boldly asserts "no disrespect to the rest, he is the best" when reflecting on Lineker's illustrious television career.

It was announced on Monday evening that Lineker would be stepping down as MOTD host at the end of this season. The BBC's top earner, raking in £1.35million a year, will leave the show after an impressive 25-year stint, making him the longest-serving presenter the programme has ever seen.

Stelling also shocked fans at the close of the 2022/2023 season with his announcement that he was leaving his role as anchor on Sky's beloved Saturday afternoon football show. The 68 year old had been with Sky since 1992 and was the face of that show for 25 years.

However, he believes that Lineker was indeed the maestro when it came to delivering football to the masses. "People think that what Gary Lineker does is easy. I can assure you it is not," Stelling states in his book. "He makes it look easy just as the likes of Des Lynam and Frank Bough did in their day.", reports the Mirror.

"He achieves that with hard work and in-depth preparation. I was told that before he first hosted the BBC 's flagship football show, he would spend month after month doing practice runs in the studio. It certainly wouldn't surprise me."

"He avoids clichés like the plague. He is witty, insightful and has a great rapport with his team of pundits. With no disrespect to the rest, he is the best. He makes it look easy just as the likes of Des Lynam and Frank Bough did in their day."

Stelling also defended Lineker from those who feel the ex-Leicester striker should keep his opinions on current affairs to himself. The 63 year old was famously suspended by the BBC in 2023 for a series of tweets he made in regard to government policy, and was often berated on social media for airing his views. But Stelling feels he has the same right to an opinion as anyone else.

"I also admire the way he uses his platform to speak out on perceived injustices," he added. "I know he has seen a million social media responses that include the phrase 'Stick to football Gary' but why should he? Why is the opinion of an ex-footballer less valuable than a cab driver's, or a surgeon's, or a twenty-five year old MP with no experience of work and precious little of life? (I'm asking for a friend here!)"

Newcastle United transfer news straight to your phone on WhatsApp

It's quick and easy to join. Just click this link and select 'Join Community' to get started.

Plus you can follow our new Newcastle United channel right here - just follow this link

Your informational will be hidden, you'll only ever receive messages from the Chronicle Live sports team, and you can leave any time you like. For more information, click here. You can read our Privacy Notice here.