Gary Lineker is set to leave Match of the Day at the end of the 2024/25 season, according to reports.

The 63-year-old took over from Des Lynam on the Premier League highlights show back in 1999 so would have covered 25 seasons by the end of his tenure.

A spokesperson for the BBC declined to comment on the reports.

It is understood he will stay at the BBC until the end of the next World Cup being held in the US, Mexico and Canada in 2026, Sky News reports.

The presenter was briefly removed from the programme in March 2023 following controversy over comments he made on social media criticising the then-Conservative government's asylum policies.

The row prompted the BBC to launch an independent review of its social media guidelines and Lineker returned to screens soon after.

The 63-year-old has been the broadcaster's highest-paid star in recent years for his work on shows including Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year.

He received around £1.35m during the 2023-24 financial year, according to the BBC's most recent figures.

Gary Lineker's career at Match of the Day

Before becoming a TV presenter, Lineker had a hugely successful career as a striker for England as well as Leicester, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona.

Once Lineker retired from playing football in 1994 he started a career in the media, initially on the BBC for Radio 5 Live and as a football pundit.

Additionally, he appeared as a team captain on the sports game show They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 2003.

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A few years later Lineker replaced Des Lynam on Match of the Day and eventually became the BBC's highest-paid sports presenter.

Following the departure of Steve Rider from the BBC in 2005 Lineker also became the new presenter for the corporation's golf coverage.

Despite receiving some criticism from his peers, he continued to front the BBC's coverage of the Masters and The Open.