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Gary Lineker addresses surprising rumour: 'It's only fair I give you the bad news'

The father of four took to Twitter

gary lineker 1t
Gemma Strong
Online Digital News Director
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Gary Lineker found himself at the centre of rumours circulating on Twitter over the weekend – and has now issued a public response.

MORE: Inside Gary Lineker's ultra-plush London home

It had been reported that Gary was set to be replaced by James Corden as the host of Match of the Day, following the news that James is leaving his US talk show in 2023.

WATCH: Gary Lineker's sons celebrate sporting success

Notably, James – who has fronted The Late, Late Show in America for the past seven years - also presented the popular sports panel show A League Of Their Own between 2010 and 2020 on Sky.

READ: Gary Lineker supported by fans after sharing moving post about dad Barry

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The rumour caught the attention of Gary, who subsequently took to social media and said: "Getting a number of texts from friends asking if I'm quitting @BBCMOTD after reports on Twitter of my possible successor.

james corden

It was reported that James Corden would take over as host of Match of the Day

"So it's only fair I give you the bad news now: I'm afraid I still have 3 years to run on my contract, so you're stuck with me for a while."

READ: Gary Lineker shares rare photo of son Angus - and everyone is saying the same thing!

MORE: Gary Lineker's love life: meet his ex-wives Danielle Bux, Michelle Cockayne and more

Gary, 61, certainly has his hands full at the moment – both at work and at home. The father-of-four recently welcomed a brand new family member, a dog named Filbert.

gary lineker dog

Gary with his new rescue dog, Filbert

Gary shared a snapshot showing him crouching down next to his husky and wrote: "Meet Filbert, the new and already much loved member of the Lineker family. He's a rescue from the streets of LA.

"Met him through his foster parent and friend Reggie, @r_breakspear on a recent holiday, and it was love at first sight. I've been dogless for far too long," he confessed.

READ: Gary Lineker sends heartfelt message to ex-wife Danielle Bux

MORE: Gary Lineker's incredible garden has to be seen to be believed

Among those to react was Gary's ex-wife Danielle Bux, who told the star: "He found his person as they say," adding love heart eyes.

gary lineker sons

The star is a proud father of four

Gary and Danielle were married in Italy in September 2009 – but six years later, in January 2016, they confirmed they were going their separate ways after the sports star decided he didn’t want any more children.

The TV host shares four sons with his ex-wife, Michelle Cockayne. The couple were married from 1986 until May 2006 and are proud parents to George, 30, Harry, 28, Tobias, 26, and 24-year-old Angus.

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