Gary Lineker, who will leave Match of the Day at the end of this season, BBC News understands, has been the steady hand who guided millions of fans through football's agonies and ecstasies. As host of the flagship show for 25 years,

The departure of Gary Lineker from Match of the Day has got me thinking about money. The former England striker was, as we all know, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earning £1.35 million a year. The Corporation would have argued that that was the market value for such “talent”,

For better or worse, Lineker came to represent the BBC in the eyes of many and is a broadcasting titan but his departure was eventually inevitable