Gary Lineker is poised to make a move to Netflix after securing a highly profitable agreement with the streaming behemoth. The footballing icon will present The Rest Is Football podcast for the service from the World Cup in North America following his departure from the BBC in May. Following his decision to step aside from presenting Match of the Day after a quarter of a century, the corporation had originally planned for Lineker, 65, to front the BBC's coverage for next summer's tournament, but those arrangements were scrapped.

The abrupt departure occurred after the ex-Leicester forward faced criticism for posting and subsequently removing a pro-Palestine clip containing an 'antisemitic' rat emoji. Lineker's well-received podcast had previously been broadcast on BBC Sounds but after his unexpected exit from the broadcaster, it has lacked a fixed platform, and is presently accessible on YouTube and alternative services.

It remains unclear whether Lineker's usual podcast partners Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will accompany him in the fresh Netflix project. Nevertheless, the arrangement is anticipated to boost Lineker's financial standing considerably.

From his wealth to his personal affairs, The Express examines the life away from the cameras of the former Match of the Day presenter

Concerning the fresh arrangement, an insider reportedly told the Daily Mail: "The Rest is Football is currently available to watch on YouTube but it has not been affiliated to any other network or broadcaster.

"This is all new for Netflix and it is being described as an exciting new thing amongst the bosses there. It will mean that Gary gets a huge payday, it is an extremely popular show but when he left the BBC he took it with him.

"This will mean that its profile will catapult again, as well as meaning that Gary will go to the World Cup after all, just in a very different capacity."

Lineker's fortune is estimated to stand at approximately £30 million. His considerable wealth has been substantially enhanced by his BBC income. The corporation disclosed in its annual salary report that the former striker earned between £1,300,000 and £1,354,999 during 2023/2024.

Although already the BBC's highest-paid presenter for seven consecutive years, Lineker had agreed to accept a significant salary reduction of roughly £350,000 to remain with MOTD, prior to his exit from the programme this year.

After his BBC departure, it emerged that he will front an ITV quiz programme called The Box, which will feature celebrity participants taken to undisclosed destinations. Nevertheless, whilst the precise figures for his new Netflix arrangement and the ITV programme remain undisclosed, it's broadly anticipated that Lineker's wealth will increase considerably.

The former striker has been wed twice and has four children with his first spouse, Michelle Cockayne, whom he married in 1986 before divorcing two decades later. In 2007, the presenter embarked on a relationship with Danielle Bux, who was two decades younger than him.

The couple tied the knot in Italy, though their marriage came to an end after six years when they confirmed their separation in early 2016.

Speaking in 2019, Gary revealed: "Danielle and I are best mates, we still speak three times a day, we text all the time. When she comes to London, she stays with me, and when I go to LA, I see her."

Lineker has described Danielle as his 'best mate' but has declined to discuss his romantic life. He previously stated: "I am still single. I am not going down that route! I have been there before and tried to explain myself and I got slaughtered by my friends."

The former footballer had previously shed light on the fascinating arrangement that allows him to maintain contact with Danielle, and why her present husband harbours no 'jealous' feelings about their bond.

"He's not got a jealous bone in his body," Gary told the Radio Times. "We get on really well. We go out for dinner when I'm in LA. It might be unusual and people might go, 'That's weird' but, frankly, I don't care. What is normal? Is it better to get divorced and end up fighting, screaming and shouting? Or is it better to get on if you can?."