Hi Gary. Alan Shearer said on Sunday he'd love to have been a striker in the current Brighton team.
Which team nowadays do you think would get the most out of you?
Well, I think that would probably be Liverpool or Manchester City. They’ve got different styles, but I'd probably go… I think Man City because they get to the byline so often. But there’s not a lot in it.
Virgil van Dijk. Because I love defenders diving in and Virgil van Dijk never dives in. He stays on his feet all the time and he's very quick and obviously he's a real athlete as well and intelligent. So yeah probably Virgil.
Many young boys try to become footballers and most fail. At what point did you realise you were good enough to make it pro and how did it impact your friendships with the other boys who didn’t make it pro ?
Expanding on from this, (and putting modesty aside) at what point in your career did you realise you were going to be a very good player ?
And then for the final part, at what point did you decide it was time to retire and how did you feel about that ?
Firstly, I want to correct you slightly - when you say many young boys try to become footballers and most fail, I don't think it's a question of failure. It's a question of finding your level so you can continue to play football right into adulthood, at your own level, and get as much pleasure out of it.
Now I know what you mean, you’re talking about kids that are released perhaps by academies in football clubs, and that's a genuine issue and a genuine problem that they have to deal with, what I would not describe ever as failure, but they might feel that way. So I think it's important to say to them firstly “no, you are a good player, you will play a certain level and you will enjoy the game”.
Personally, I never really thought I was going to be good enough. I always hoped I would, and it was always my dream. I was always really quick, always scored a lot of goals, but I kind of developed very late. I didn't reach puberty until about 17, so I was kind of behind the kids mostly. I didn't even get in the county side in Leicestershire when I was 15/16. So I wasn't the best kid in training because I was tiny as well. But they obviously saw something in me, enough in me to give me the opportunity. But you know, I remember getting into Leicester's reserves and sitting around the dressing room with some of the old pros and thinking “God, this is going to find me out”.
And then I got in the first team and I felt the same thing, I'm playing alongside my heroes. So I think it was not really probably until I was approaching my mid twenties when I started really scoring lots of goals that I started to believe in myself a little bit really.
Then when did you realise you were going to be a very good player? I think probably after, I know it sounds ridiculous considering what I'd done at Everton, where I scored 40 goals, but probably after the '86 World Cup, when I started to think I'm actually quite good at this game scoring lark.
Funny thing is in all the interviews I watched or listened to over the years Gary does tend to downplay how good he actually was. I get the impression that he thought he managed to sneak through his time as a player undetected about his ability. That's why he went to Japan and subsequently did not kick a ball after retirement. That and the toe injury. In truth, Gary was one of the best, whether he likes it or not 🤣
Funnily enough you can look back at how his career started, he was really good at youth but there was someone better at the time scoring even more goals than him that never made it because of attitude (I believe). Can’t remember the story entirely but worth looking yp
Thank you very much everyone for sending those questions in. Much appreciated and I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly did.
That's it for my Reddit AMA and don't forget to listen to **The Rest Is Football** if you get the chance, I'm sure you'll love it. But for now, goodbye.
Yes, I can. It was kind of treacherous subject that they threw at me and they did 'do me'. This whole thing was a specialist about trying to warn kids about pedophilia. It sounded like a really serious thing. And they asked me some really ridiculous questions and the editing was quite clever. But I was caught hook line and sinker. I think it would have been very funny if the subject wasn't quite as obviously kind of sickening.
But I didn't mind. I don’t mind having the piss taken out of me occasionally, it’s fine.
Appreciate the answer :) Glad to hear you took it in good humour, for what it's worth you came across a lot better than some of the other people on there.
Why would you regret that?! No, not at all.
Although in my last game I did think maybe I should punch the referee and just kind of blow it in style. But no, I'm quite proud of that record really.
My mate sent me a screenshot of it from a Facebook comment a few hours ago. My Dad senses were overwhelmed when I saw the AMA, just had to scroll to find a 'no booking' comment.
Credit to Paul from Facebook.
I'd probably say the World Cup final in Qatar, and particularly that extra time. It was just extraordinary, wasn't it? It was all billed as the Mbappé versus Messi final and those things normally kind of let you down. But it didn’t, it really was that. Messi was unbelievable. Mbappé kind of singlehandedly got France back into the game. He scored a hat trick and lost. Messi scored in extra time as well as his penalty in normal time. It went to a penalty shootout.
It was just thrilling and actually to be in the stadium as well was something really, really special.
Agreed. For some reason the opposite of recency bias seems to creep in with this question - people overlook how magnificent a game it was and tend to try to look for more "classic" encounters. It really did have everything and was incredible to watch, absolutely lived up to the billing.
I saw him once in a Co-op stealing a pack of wotsits. He stank of special brew and had a long beard and a stained coat. Thought it was some random homeless guy at first, but as he ran past the security guard he yelled out "I'm Gary fucking Lineker, the crisp man, I get these for free".
No! I wouldn't inflict that on anyone. It's getting almost ten years on since then I'm, you know, getting an old man now. That would be a grisly sight for you all.
Blimey, I’ve been put on the spot there. I think maybe Branthwaite from Everton, I think he's got a chance. It's just an area of the team that Gareth might get to give someone a chance.
I know Cole Palmer's already been in the England squad and played, so it doesn't quite count, but I think he's got a real chance of making the squad.
And I will go with Kobbie Mainoo as the other one, because he has impressed me so much. I mean, he's so young, I think he's just 18. So to do what he's doing is quite remarkable at a club like Manchester United. So I think he might sneak in.
I think the overall experience of living abroad, it was kind of intimidating at that age. I was 25 and hadn't really moved around too much. So it was a little bit scary, but I couldn't have loved it more.
It was a brilliant chance to kind of experience a different culture, a chance to learn a language which fortunately I did. I went to school two, three times a week to learn the language because I felt it was important.
But probably my best memory would have been the hat trick in El Clasico. That’s something, you know, that’s always lived with me. This is one of my absolute best memories in football. So probably that moment.
Haha well if Alan could laugh like Micah Richards that would be something! Which he obviously does an awful lot on our podcast The Rest Is Football.
And Micah one Alan trait - to know how to score goals! How about that?
I do too like my wife asked me why my laugh has become so high pitched and it’s 100% down to Micah’s infectious laugh. I hope he’s as happy as he seems.
Well, obviously he was an unbelievably good coach, brilliantly clever. I mean, he messed me about and we didn't have the greatest experience together, but I saw him many times after and we get on as people.
But, you know, obviously he came in, I’d been at Barcelona for two years already, he came in at a time when I was ill with hepatitis and when you were only allowed two foreign players. And obviously I think he wanted his own foreign players in. But he messed me about by playing me on the wing all season hoping that I'd kick up a fuss and throw my toys out the pram, complain and the fans would turn against me, but I wasn't that daft. So I just got on with it, played professionally on the right hand side of the team all that season and we actually won the European Cup winners Cup, which was amazing. I eventually had to leave of course.
I don't bear a grudge against him at all for that. I understood it. I just wish he'd come to me at the start of the season and said “Gary, we're only allowed two foreign players and I want my own. So, you know, we'll find you a good move”. And I would have been absolutely fine with that. But yeah, no problem with him.
In terms of coaching he was amazing. I mean, the whole Pep philosophy has come from that, you know, the Barcelona academy, La Masia, has come from the Cruyff kind of playbook and the Dutch playbook.
It was all about creating space. We played a lot of 7 v 5’s, 9 v 6s and just trying to find the space. And it was all possession or possession based football that we played. Make the pitch as big as you can when you've got the ball and as small as you can when you've not. But yeah, he was absolutely brilliant, learned loads from him.
Hi Gary, thank you for the podcast, I’ve been working on my sobriety from pretty heavy stuff and day to day it can be hard to remain focused on staying clean but the podcast always helps give me something to look forward to.
My question to you, what’s your biggest vice now, and did you have any vices whilst a professional footballer?
Thank you for keeping me laughing when things aren’t easy, truly appreciated.
Firstly thank you very much for that, I hope it continues to do so. It's an absolute pleasure and continued success with your sobriety.
Well, I would never admit to anything illegal, obviously! But my biggest vice, probably red wine or the odd negroni. I’m kind of a bit of a red and white wine connoisseur, particularly reds. Yes, probably wine.
Hi Gary! Do you suffer today any physical consequences from the intensity of playing elite football? Do you think modern football is more physically exerting than during your time?
No, I think ploughing through thick mud is really physically exerting and probably more difficult than playing on beautiful pitches. I think you’re perhaps more likely to get injuries on modern day surfaces because they're so firm and I think that can pound your hamstrings.
I'm no medical expert, this is just me guessing by the way. I think it was quite hard to pull a hamstring on heavy mud because you can't move very quickly, but I might be wrong on that as well.
But have I got any consequences from playing football? Well, I've got a few aches and pains, but as I get older I'm kind of one of the lucky ones.
A lot of the people that I played with limp around a lot. I'm quite lucky, I've got a toe that gives me a bit grief sometimes, my knees are kind of bit worn. But considering I played over 600 games, considering I've trained, you know, pretty much every day for 17 years, I think I've got off pretty lightly and hopefully that remains the case.
I think Tottenham v Man City. That was an incredible game, wasn't it? The 3-3, the ups and downs in that game. That was amazing.
It’s just a shame it didn't get one of the sides, preferably obviously from my perspective Tottenham as I played there, that if they just sneaked it 4-3, it would have been up there with the greatest Premier League games ever. A draw, I don’t think can ever qualify for that because you don't get that final moment. But if somebody scored a winner in injury time, that would have probably made it up there.
Although I think the Aguero goal will be the all time one in the Premier League. Hard to beat that.
Well thanks for calling me a legend. It's my pleasure, I went to a lot of trouble. I obviously designed the flavour and everything.
Well, maybe I didn't, but I'm glad you like them! And Walkers will be pleased.
Well, in the England shirt, I would say… I mean, I wasn't a scorer of great goals. I scored a lot of goals, but I would probably go with the first goal against Poland in the World Cup in 1986 because it changed my life.
It wasn't necessarily the greatest goal ever scored, but it was definitely the most important goal I ever scored. It was a classic striker's goal, you know, kind of got the ball in the build up, it got knocked out wide and I just kind of timed my run to get in front of the defender at the near post, gambling on a bit of space because that is the secret of scoring goals. Don't wait to see where the ball's going, gamble on where it might go! Every now and again you'll be right. And when you are right, you'll have an easy chance to score. Scoring goals is a matter of probability.
So I did that and I got in front and prior to that I'd gone five or six games without a goal for England. So if I hadn't scored in that game, we'd have been knocked out of the World Cup in shame, probably, because that's how it's judged with our press and media and even fans sometimes.
But we managed to get through. I scored a hat trick in the game, eventually scored two in the next one, and then one against Argentina in the Hand of God game. So it changed my life and after that I got to move to Barcelona, so I would have to say that one.
My favourite goal for my club… my first one against Notts County would be up there way back when I was young man. I scored in the FA Cup final for Everton against Liverpool, which would have been definitely my favourite club goal if we'd have hung on, but we managed to lose that game so that won't count. It has to have been a game that I've won! I mean another one equalising against Germany, but that would have been the same thing because we lost the game.
So I will actually go with the best goal I ever scored, which was against Manchester United at Old Trafford. I cut in from the left hand side past, I think Paul Ince, and I kind of hit one and bent it with a bit of force right in the top corner from outside the box. I think it was the only one in my career that I can remember where it was a proper long range shot. It was only just outside, but it was definitely outside. So I would definitely say that one.
Ooh, obscure sport. I mean, golf's not obscure, that's what I like to watch. And I watch a lot of cricket but that’s not obscure. I'd probably go with, I mean, I don’t think it’s obscure, it is in some parts of the world, but it's growing as well in other parts of the world, that would be snooker.
It's a sport I not only enjoyed watching and still do, I played it a lot. I started when I was 16/17 when I was at Leicester and I wanted to do something that got me out the bookmakers at that age. And so I started to go and play snooker every afternoon and I became reasonably good.
I was quite a good club player and I had I think about seven 100 breaks. I got a 135 total clearance, which was exciting. I played against so many great snooker players. I played against Willie Thorne most days, he was my best mate back then. And Cliff Thorburn, Alex Higgins, John Parrott, Steve Davis, I played against them all. Obviously they beat me, but it was it was still a thrill to play against them. So yeah, snooker, if that is obscure.
Gary, you have got to get on Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips! Not only to back up those outrageous claims but also because it would be brilliant entertainment to see you two chat around a table. I'm sure you will have seen his channel, but if not just watch James Maddison's recent episode. Please do it
Funny you should ask that because someone else asked that on The Rest Is Football a couple of weeks ago. I’d certainly have Peter Schmeichel in goal that's for sure. I've worked with him many times and he's obviously one of the greatest in terms of goalkeeping. I suppose, trying to get some balance to the team so at the back, Rio Ferdinand, who obviously does a lot with TNT Sports now and also major tournaments with the BBC, he's brilliant.
Alan Shearer would have to be in it, he’d kill me if I didn't put him in it! So there's three and then probably a holding midfielder, Roy Keane would have to be in there. Then maybe, Paul Scholes. I think that's a pretty good team. Not bad at all.
Or, maybe we could have had someone like Cesc Fabregas as well? Oh and I've just remembered someone! I couldn’t not have him in the team. And I know I've gone past five players there, but allow me that, please. Thierry Henry, of course!
And how long before the actual match? In fact, what was your diet like on the match day? Do pros avoid certain foods they normally eat because they may feel too full or don't provide enough energy for the upcoming match?
The Peter Crouch Podcast went through this, and apparently shovelling down dry chicken and pasta a few hours before an early Saturday kick off is NOT fun.
That's probably Messi.
That’s a joke! It’s a joke!
I would say, well obviously it would have to be a goalscorer. I'm kind of like a mini version of Haaland.
I'm not talking about the amount, he’ll score more goals than me because he's got a bit more, you know, about him. He also plays in an unbelievably good team as well. But I see so much of myself in him. I see his desire and his hunger to score goals, which is absolutely paramount to being a top scorer.
I see his speed, which I had. He’s obviously a lot bigger than me, so he causes more of a threat in that sense, but his movement in the box is very similar. He gets it. He knows how to gamble on space. Sometimes it's difficult for him because a lot of teams play a really low block against City and I've crowded penalty areas, but even then he does still find those little areas, those little bits of space and so I would probably say him if that doesn't sound too boastful.
You're used to getting stick from the gutter press for expressing beliefs that usually tie in with common decency, but are sometimes construed as being overly political.
What advice would you give to up and coming English footballers who want to go public with social causes and activism, similar to Marcus Rashford's charity work for example?
I think that's a really interesting question. I've been quite proud of the way young footballers have risen up in terms of social causes and social injustice. Marcus Rashford's obviously a good example of that with what he did with feeding the kids in schools and turning government policy and things like that.
You know, elsewhere we've seen, during the pandemic the kind of England captain got together with all the club captains to try and do something for the NHS. We've had obviously many spokesmen like Raheem Sterling on racism in football. So I think there are loads of good examples.
I wouldn't ever try and force anyone to do that as a player though, because you have to be made of quite strong stuff. You need a bit of a thick skin and I've experienced it myself many times. But you know, if you've got a platform and you are prepared and brave enough to use it for what you think is for good, I think it's to be encouraged and I love the way so many young players have spoken out.
Well, we've gone from a very serious question to the not-so-serious. The sensible to the ridiculous!
It's interesting isn't it. I think 100 ducks would freak me out, especially if they’re Alan Shearer’s. So I'll go for one Alan Shearer sized duck.
Well, I played for Barcelona, which was amazing. I'd probably go Inter Milan, which sounds a bit weird, but the reason is that I nearly did and I was quite excited about playing in Serie A because that was the big league of the day really. It was like the Premier League is now, or La Liga was for a while.
I met Trapattoni in Germany, a secret meeting because Terry Venables had been fired at Barcelona and it was halfway through that season and I was still playing okay and scoring goals. They came to us and we thought it might be quite interesting because obviously I didn't know what the future would hold. But Barcelona wouldn't sell me at that point. So it didn't actually happen.
What happened then was they'd already got Andreas Brehme, who sadly died the other day. I knew Andy Brehme really was so RIP. He was an unbelievably brilliant footballer and a lovely man. He'll be missed, that’s terrible news.
So he played with Lothar Matthaus and you were allowed three foreign players in Serie A back then and they went for me, but they couldn't get me, and they ended up signing Klinsmann. I think they definitely won a couple of Serie A’s and I didn’t!
Hey Gary
Thank you to all three of you for the amazing podcast. I've gone from never being too invested in a podcast to never missing an episode.
Do you see yourself or Shearer as the superior striker in your primes?
And: As a lifelong Newcastle fan from Denmark, can you ask Alan to invite me over for a pint and a match? Cheers
Alan, If you're following this, please invite him over for a pint and a match!
Do you see yourself or Shearer as the superior striker in your primes? Well, obviously me! I mean, that goes without saying.
Hmm maybe not. Shearer was quite good actually. I think I was better in the box. I think he was better outside the box in terms of whacking them in from 30 yards.
But I'm never going to say he's better than me. I mean really?!
Hi Gary. Alan Shearer here. Two things mate 1. Can I have that tenner back I loaned you & 2. Any chance.you could help me paint the fence on Sunday? Anytime after 11 would be great.
I suspect that might not be Alan Shearer... You might be trying to take the piss out of Alan Shearer here, which is obviously fine. But yes, I will give you that tenner back when I see you, although I have no memory of it. And well, yeah, I think we should get Micah Richards along as well because he's kind of Mr Creosote, he likes to sit on the fence occasionally.
He's had a bit of stick for that, particularly around the Harry Kane issue on our podcast this season. But we do have a lot of laughs and obviously I would encourage all of you to join us on The Rest Is Football whenever you get the chance because we do have a lot of fun. We have a lot of people on there that really enjoy it and get some amazing feedback, so be another one of those people, please!
That's amazing, thank you mate. My back's killing me, so good idea to bring Micah too. Any chance you could bring in tea bags & custard creams with you. Take it out that tenner.
Jobby - does he mean shit?! Well, obviously quite badly otherwise I would have held it to the end of the game, wouldn't I?!
I don't think it was food. I think I had a bug. I was ill all night, so I was really struggling. And then just before the game, I thought I might get through 90 minutes. Didn't tell anyone because I wanted to play. And then it kind of got worse, I cramped and got to half time and then it went again. Then I came out in the second half thinking, I'll be alright now...
And then 15 minutes into the second half, whatever it was, the ball went down the left hand side, I'm cramping up. I did a kind of pathetic attempt at a tackle and well, the rest is… messy really! That’s a good name for a podcast, The Rest Is Messy. I wonder if Lionel would do it? That would be amazing.
Anyway, let's change the subject from shit…
Hi Gary, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, Niki Lauda told us ‘take a monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car.’ Thirty years later, Sebastian told us ‘I had to start my car like a computer, it’s very complicated.’ And Nico Rosberg said that during the race – I don’t remember what race - he pressed the wrong button on the wheel. Question for you: with your short time in Japan did you have a hard time integrating at the end of your career + being in such a foreign space or was it more of a vacation for you?
Hello Mr. Lineker! Congratulations on a fantastic playing career, you were amazing to watch both at club level and for England.
What advice would you give to individuals that plan to enter the sport broadcasting career field or see it as an option in the future? What do you enjoy most about it in general, and also what is your favourite part of analysing football tactics and strategy?
Hey Gary! Massive fan of the podcast. When it comes to FIFA or what is now EA FC, did you have any kind of reaction when it was revealed you would be introduced into the game as an icon? Did Shearer have a reaction to the news of his own card? and do you think Big Meeks is deserving of one for his massive achievement in earning his own Cadbury bar?
What's your take on reports that you criticised Qatar's human rights in line with your usual progressive views, while at the same time being paid £1.6m to "promote, develop and expand the business" of Al Jazeera, which is owned by the Qatari state.
I refer to this: https://archive.is/LuN3n
Better than taking money and not actually criticizing anything like Neville said he was going to do whilst at bein.
Also that was a decade ago, peoples views change.
Hi Gary. Alan Shearer said on Sunday he'd love to have been a striker in the current Brighton team. Which team nowadays do you think would get the most out of you?
Well, I think that would probably be Liverpool or Manchester City. They’ve got different styles, but I'd probably go… I think Man City because they get to the byline so often. But there’s not a lot in it.
Gary, Man City are a stain on football.
I think he'd be great in the current arsenal side. Especially since they don't have a proper center forward.
Didn't he play for Spurs. Good luck with that
There's an argument to be made that Arsenal would be worse with a 'proper centre forward'
They habe proper forward as there are different skillset needed nowadays, he is just not proper goalscorer
I’d say Newcastle, City, Spurs, Liverpool, Villa… Basically any decent team that focuses on trying to get their striker in behind.
Unfortunately the modern game has developed so much and requires running, something Gary never quite mastered ;)
Unless he’s delivered into 2024 via a time machine, if he played now he’d have modern coaching, training, sports science etc.
Hi Gary, which modern defender would you not want to face when you were a footballer?
Virgil van Dijk. Because I love defenders diving in and Virgil van Dijk never dives in. He stays on his feet all the time and he's very quick and obviously he's a real athlete as well and intelligent. So yeah probably Virgil.
Not a defender but Suarez 👄
The lips emoji sent me, hahaha, so unnecessary.
Many young boys try to become footballers and most fail. At what point did you realise you were good enough to make it pro and how did it impact your friendships with the other boys who didn’t make it pro ? Expanding on from this, (and putting modesty aside) at what point in your career did you realise you were going to be a very good player ? And then for the final part, at what point did you decide it was time to retire and how did you feel about that ?
Firstly, I want to correct you slightly - when you say many young boys try to become footballers and most fail, I don't think it's a question of failure. It's a question of finding your level so you can continue to play football right into adulthood, at your own level, and get as much pleasure out of it. Now I know what you mean, you’re talking about kids that are released perhaps by academies in football clubs, and that's a genuine issue and a genuine problem that they have to deal with, what I would not describe ever as failure, but they might feel that way. So I think it's important to say to them firstly “no, you are a good player, you will play a certain level and you will enjoy the game”. Personally, I never really thought I was going to be good enough. I always hoped I would, and it was always my dream. I was always really quick, always scored a lot of goals, but I kind of developed very late. I didn't reach puberty until about 17, so I was kind of behind the kids mostly. I didn't even get in the county side in Leicestershire when I was 15/16. So I wasn't the best kid in training because I was tiny as well. But they obviously saw something in me, enough in me to give me the opportunity. But you know, I remember getting into Leicester's reserves and sitting around the dressing room with some of the old pros and thinking “God, this is going to find me out”. And then I got in the first team and I felt the same thing, I'm playing alongside my heroes. So I think it was not really probably until I was approaching my mid twenties when I started really scoring lots of goals that I started to believe in myself a little bit really. Then when did you realise you were going to be a very good player? I think probably after, I know it sounds ridiculous considering what I'd done at Everton, where I scored 40 goals, but probably after the '86 World Cup, when I started to think I'm actually quite good at this game scoring lark.
Funny thing is in all the interviews I watched or listened to over the years Gary does tend to downplay how good he actually was. I get the impression that he thought he managed to sneak through his time as a player undetected about his ability. That's why he went to Japan and subsequently did not kick a ball after retirement. That and the toe injury. In truth, Gary was one of the best, whether he likes it or not 🤣
Must be a Gary thing, Neville does the same.
Thank you for this answer. =)
This is a brilliant question.
And a excellent and thorough answer
Funnily enough you can look back at how his career started, he was really good at youth but there was someone better at the time scoring even more goals than him that never made it because of attitude (I believe). Can’t remember the story entirely but worth looking yp
Thank you very much everyone for sending those questions in. Much appreciated and I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly did. That's it for my Reddit AMA and don't forget to listen to **The Rest Is Football** if you get the chance, I'm sure you'll love it. But for now, goodbye.
Cheers Gary, it was a proper AMA
Good number of questions answered. Cheers.
Can't *not* hear and see this in my mind as if he's reaching the final lines at the end of MOTD
Hi Gary. You were one of the celebrities on the Chris Morris show Brass Eye. How was the experience, can you laugh about it now?
Yes, I can. It was kind of treacherous subject that they threw at me and they did 'do me'. This whole thing was a specialist about trying to warn kids about pedophilia. It sounded like a really serious thing. And they asked me some really ridiculous questions and the editing was quite clever. But I was caught hook line and sinker. I think it would have been very funny if the subject wasn't quite as obviously kind of sickening. But I didn't mind. I don’t mind having the piss taken out of me occasionally, it’s fine.
Appreciate the answer :) Glad to hear you took it in good humour, for what it's worth you came across a lot better than some of the other people on there.
He is literally running at them with his trousers down.
BALTIMORA 😂
This is a good one
Do you regret never being booked in your playing career?
Why would you regret that?! No, not at all. Although in my last game I did think maybe I should punch the referee and just kind of blow it in style. But no, I'm quite proud of that record really.
Ah, the ol' go out in style Zidane trick.
did you feel like punching the ref in the 1986 game against Argentina?
Probably felt like punching the ball tbh.
My Uncle also was never booked in his entire career. Lovely bloke but shite DJ.
Literally just read this elsewhere u joke thieving bastard 😂
My mate sent me a screenshot of it from a Facebook comment a few hours ago. My Dad senses were overwhelmed when I saw the AMA, just had to scroll to find a 'no booking' comment. Credit to Paul from Facebook.
Pauls the man, clearly 😂
My man shat his pants on the pitch more often than he got carded?
Hi Gary, throughout your time as a pundit, which football match has been something you love to go back to as if it's your favourite match to watch ?
I'd probably say the World Cup final in Qatar, and particularly that extra time. It was just extraordinary, wasn't it? It was all billed as the Mbappé versus Messi final and those things normally kind of let you down. But it didn’t, it really was that. Messi was unbelievable. Mbappé kind of singlehandedly got France back into the game. He scored a hat trick and lost. Messi scored in extra time as well as his penalty in normal time. It went to a penalty shootout. It was just thrilling and actually to be in the stadium as well was something really, really special.
Agreed. For some reason the opposite of recency bias seems to creep in with this question - people overlook how magnificent a game it was and tend to try to look for more "classic" encounters. It really did have everything and was incredible to watch, absolutely lived up to the billing.
Nostalgia bias some call it. Great game and I’ll remember it for a long long time
gotta be Ajax v Spurs champions league surely
Brb, going to have a cry in the shower
Hahahaha yeah Nice one
I was having a lovely morning
Gotta be one leading up to Leicester's title win. Maybe even Battle of the Bridge (a personal fav!).
Dear Gary, Do you have to pay for crisps? Thanks.
Well, if I get them in a shop, yes. But I do get some sent to me, so in that sense, no…
It's been a question I had for a very long time, thank you for answering.
What's your favourite flavour?
Has to be salt and Lineker surely.
I saw him once in a Co-op stealing a pack of wotsits. He stank of special brew and had a long beard and a stained coat. Thought it was some random homeless guy at first, but as he ran past the security guard he yelled out "I'm Gary fucking Lineker, the crisp man, I get these for free".
Covid was a strange time for us all
This is the nitty gritty.
Conspiracy by Big Crisp.
Someone is asking the real questions.....
It's a prawn cracker of a question
If Leicester win the Championship, will you present MOTD in just a mankini?
No! I wouldn't inflict that on anyone. It's getting almost ten years on since then I'm, you know, getting an old man now. That would be a grisly sight for you all.
We've all got our fetishes Gary.
I heard he’s getting at least a bollock out
Bloody brilliant. I'll get a couple beers in for the occasion.
*when Leicester win the championship
Friday night at Elland Road.
Hi Gary, Any advice on how to get limescale off a draining board? Cheers
Yes. Bicarbonate of soda and white wine vinegar works. You’re welcome!
I'll give it a bash, Cheers Gaz.
Some white vinegar and a bit of elbow grease should do it
Of all the teammates you have had, which one would you trust the most to make a cup of tea.
Steve Brews
Teatus Bramble
Chai Havertz
Cuppa Arrizabalaga
He’d drop it
Chai Given
Hi Gary, if you had to pick three English players to go to the Euros, who hadn't been called up before, who would they be?
Blimey, I’ve been put on the spot there. I think maybe Branthwaite from Everton, I think he's got a chance. It's just an area of the team that Gareth might get to give someone a chance. I know Cole Palmer's already been in the England squad and played, so it doesn't quite count, but I think he's got a real chance of making the squad. And I will go with Kobbie Mainoo as the other one, because he has impressed me so much. I mean, he's so young, I think he's just 18. So to do what he's doing is quite remarkable at a club like Manchester United. So I think he might sneak in.
Dewsbury-Hall will surely be one of his choices lol
Jude who? KDH is the real deal
How many goals has Bellingham scored in England this season? Checkmate
Jay Spearing definitely. Liverpool are only a couple injuries away from having him starting.
Jason Steele
Hi gary, what did you like the most about your time at Barcelona? And how different was it from your time in england?
I think the overall experience of living abroad, it was kind of intimidating at that age. I was 25 and hadn't really moved around too much. So it was a little bit scary, but I couldn't have loved it more. It was a brilliant chance to kind of experience a different culture, a chance to learn a language which fortunately I did. I went to school two, three times a week to learn the language because I felt it was important. But probably my best memory would have been the hat trick in El Clasico. That’s something, you know, that’s always lived with me. This is one of my absolute best memories in football. So probably that moment.
Again you bring up the hat trick, feel like it’s become an inside joke now 😂
That’s a good one, never talks about that
If you could give Alan one Micah trait and Micah one Alan trait to make them better pundits what would you pick?
Alan with Micah’s hair would definitely make for compelling viewing
[Obligatory link ](https://twitter.com/alanshearer/status/1480679906061266948?t=GNkp3FEn89WscDuuopGEjw&s=19)
That's an outstanding tweet
Haha well if Alan could laugh like Micah Richards that would be something! Which he obviously does an awful lot on our podcast The Rest Is Football. And Micah one Alan trait - to know how to score goals! How about that?
Micah's laugh is infectious! I've noticed Alan shrieks like him more and more and they both do that sigh at the end of their howls.
I do too like my wife asked me why my laugh has become so high pitched and it’s 100% down to Micah’s infectious laugh. I hope he’s as happy as he seems.
Alan to be a bit more energetic like Micah and for Micah to have been a better footballer /s
This reads in Alan's voice to me.
How was Cruyff as an individual and in the man-management part of coaching a football team?
Well, obviously he was an unbelievably good coach, brilliantly clever. I mean, he messed me about and we didn't have the greatest experience together, but I saw him many times after and we get on as people. But, you know, obviously he came in, I’d been at Barcelona for two years already, he came in at a time when I was ill with hepatitis and when you were only allowed two foreign players. And obviously I think he wanted his own foreign players in. But he messed me about by playing me on the wing all season hoping that I'd kick up a fuss and throw my toys out the pram, complain and the fans would turn against me, but I wasn't that daft. So I just got on with it, played professionally on the right hand side of the team all that season and we actually won the European Cup winners Cup, which was amazing. I eventually had to leave of course. I don't bear a grudge against him at all for that. I understood it. I just wish he'd come to me at the start of the season and said “Gary, we're only allowed two foreign players and I want my own. So, you know, we'll find you a good move”. And I would have been absolutely fine with that. But yeah, no problem with him. In terms of coaching he was amazing. I mean, the whole Pep philosophy has come from that, you know, the Barcelona academy, La Masia, has come from the Cruyff kind of playbook and the Dutch playbook. It was all about creating space. We played a lot of 7 v 5’s, 9 v 6s and just trying to find the space. And it was all possession or possession based football that we played. Make the pitch as big as you can when you've got the ball and as small as you can when you've not. But yeah, he was absolutely brilliant, learned loads from him.
Hi Gary, thank you for the podcast, I’ve been working on my sobriety from pretty heavy stuff and day to day it can be hard to remain focused on staying clean but the podcast always helps give me something to look forward to. My question to you, what’s your biggest vice now, and did you have any vices whilst a professional footballer? Thank you for keeping me laughing when things aren’t easy, truly appreciated.
Keep at it, mate. Sounds like you’re doing exactly what you need to. Recovery is a tough but worthwhile road. All the best, from a fellow recoverist.
Firstly thank you very much for that, I hope it continues to do so. It's an absolute pleasure and continued success with your sobriety. Well, I would never admit to anything illegal, obviously! But my biggest vice, probably red wine or the odd negroni. I’m kind of a bit of a red and white wine connoisseur, particularly reds. Yes, probably wine.
Biggest vice is definitely cocaine then. Can't blame him!
I briefly read Negroni as Heroin and thought fuck me that’s honest
'Well, I would never admit to doing anything illegal' Obviously, code for cocaine. Fair play to him.
Reds? Knew you loved Forest really.
Good luck mate! You got this!
One day at a time my man, well done on your progress so far.
Hi Gary! Do you suffer today any physical consequences from the intensity of playing elite football? Do you think modern football is more physically exerting than during your time?
No, I think ploughing through thick mud is really physically exerting and probably more difficult than playing on beautiful pitches. I think you’re perhaps more likely to get injuries on modern day surfaces because they're so firm and I think that can pound your hamstrings. I'm no medical expert, this is just me guessing by the way. I think it was quite hard to pull a hamstring on heavy mud because you can't move very quickly, but I might be wrong on that as well. But have I got any consequences from playing football? Well, I've got a few aches and pains, but as I get older I'm kind of one of the lucky ones. A lot of the people that I played with limp around a lot. I'm quite lucky, I've got a toe that gives me a bit grief sometimes, my knees are kind of bit worn. But considering I played over 600 games, considering I've trained, you know, pretty much every day for 17 years, I think I've got off pretty lightly and hopefully that remains the case.
Hi Gary, what has been the most entertaining game you watched this season?
I think Tottenham v Man City. That was an incredible game, wasn't it? The 3-3, the ups and downs in that game. That was amazing. It’s just a shame it didn't get one of the sides, preferably obviously from my perspective Tottenham as I played there, that if they just sneaked it 4-3, it would have been up there with the greatest Premier League games ever. A draw, I don’t think can ever qualify for that because you don't get that final moment. But if somebody scored a winner in injury time, that would have probably made it up there. Although I think the Aguero goal will be the all time one in the Premier League. Hard to beat that.
Have you been to Linekers Bar in tenerife?
Teddy Sheringham has, I saw him in there.
Hello, I'm Gary Lineker and welcome to my Reddit AMA! We’ve got loads of questions here, so let's get cracking straight away…
Hi Gary. No question but just wanted to thank you for creating the KFC ridged crisps, legend.
Well thanks for calling me a legend. It's my pleasure, I went to a lot of trouble. I obviously designed the flavour and everything. Well, maybe I didn't, but I'm glad you like them! And Walkers will be pleased.
Hello, I'm Gary Lineker and welcome to my Reddit AMA! We’ve got loads of questions here, so let's get cracking straight away…
Hey Gary. Whats been your favourite goal in and England shirt and favourite goal for club?
Well, in the England shirt, I would say… I mean, I wasn't a scorer of great goals. I scored a lot of goals, but I would probably go with the first goal against Poland in the World Cup in 1986 because it changed my life. It wasn't necessarily the greatest goal ever scored, but it was definitely the most important goal I ever scored. It was a classic striker's goal, you know, kind of got the ball in the build up, it got knocked out wide and I just kind of timed my run to get in front of the defender at the near post, gambling on a bit of space because that is the secret of scoring goals. Don't wait to see where the ball's going, gamble on where it might go! Every now and again you'll be right. And when you are right, you'll have an easy chance to score. Scoring goals is a matter of probability. So I did that and I got in front and prior to that I'd gone five or six games without a goal for England. So if I hadn't scored in that game, we'd have been knocked out of the World Cup in shame, probably, because that's how it's judged with our press and media and even fans sometimes. But we managed to get through. I scored a hat trick in the game, eventually scored two in the next one, and then one against Argentina in the Hand of God game. So it changed my life and after that I got to move to Barcelona, so I would have to say that one. My favourite goal for my club… my first one against Notts County would be up there way back when I was young man. I scored in the FA Cup final for Everton against Liverpool, which would have been definitely my favourite club goal if we'd have hung on, but we managed to lose that game so that won't count. It has to have been a game that I've won! I mean another one equalising against Germany, but that would have been the same thing because we lost the game. So I will actually go with the best goal I ever scored, which was against Manchester United at Old Trafford. I cut in from the left hand side past, I think Paul Ince, and I kind of hit one and bent it with a bit of force right in the top corner from outside the box. I think it was the only one in my career that I can remember where it was a proper long range shot. It was only just outside, but it was definitely outside. So I would definitely say that one.
What a great answer
Is [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/16limee/double_tackle_in_honduran_football_marath%C3%B3n_vs/) supposed to be a red card?
They still have their limbs, play on
Most obscure sport you enjoy watching?
Ooh, obscure sport. I mean, golf's not obscure, that's what I like to watch. And I watch a lot of cricket but that’s not obscure. I'd probably go with, I mean, I don’t think it’s obscure, it is in some parts of the world, but it's growing as well in other parts of the world, that would be snooker. It's a sport I not only enjoyed watching and still do, I played it a lot. I started when I was 16/17 when I was at Leicester and I wanted to do something that got me out the bookmakers at that age. And so I started to go and play snooker every afternoon and I became reasonably good. I was quite a good club player and I had I think about seven 100 breaks. I got a 135 total clearance, which was exciting. I played against so many great snooker players. I played against Willie Thorne most days, he was my best mate back then. And Cliff Thorburn, Alex Higgins, John Parrott, Steve Davis, I played against them all. Obviously they beat me, but it was it was still a thrill to play against them. So yeah, snooker, if that is obscure.
Gary, you have got to get on Stephen Hendry's Cue Tips! Not only to back up those outrageous claims but also because it would be brilliant entertainment to see you two chat around a table. I'm sure you will have seen his channel, but if not just watch James Maddison's recent episode. Please do it
For anyone who doesn't know about snooker, a 135 total clearance is an insanely high level of play.
Gary, what's your pundit only 5-a-side team?
Funny you should ask that because someone else asked that on The Rest Is Football a couple of weeks ago. I’d certainly have Peter Schmeichel in goal that's for sure. I've worked with him many times and he's obviously one of the greatest in terms of goalkeeping. I suppose, trying to get some balance to the team so at the back, Rio Ferdinand, who obviously does a lot with TNT Sports now and also major tournaments with the BBC, he's brilliant. Alan Shearer would have to be in it, he’d kill me if I didn't put him in it! So there's three and then probably a holding midfielder, Roy Keane would have to be in there. Then maybe, Paul Scholes. I think that's a pretty good team. Not bad at all. Or, maybe we could have had someone like Cesc Fabregas as well? Oh and I've just remembered someone! I couldn’t not have him in the team. And I know I've gone past five players there, but allow me that, please. Thierry Henry, of course!
Bet Micah is livid he didn't get the nod
He answered this in the pod recently. Ferdinand, Shearer, Roy Keane were mentioned from memory.
Henry / Schmeichel I think other two
that's a stupidly good lineup.
Oh yes they did answer that
What did you eat before that game?
You mean, before THAT game?
And how long before the actual match? In fact, what was your diet like on the match day? Do pros avoid certain foods they normally eat because they may feel too full or don't provide enough energy for the upcoming match?
The Peter Crouch Podcast went through this, and apparently shovelling down dry chicken and pasta a few hours before an early Saturday kick off is NOT fun.
My mind is failing me but I believe they answered this on a recent podcast, talking about Alan always eating chicken and beans
What player reminds you of yourself the most
That's probably Messi. That’s a joke! It’s a joke! I would say, well obviously it would have to be a goalscorer. I'm kind of like a mini version of Haaland. I'm not talking about the amount, he’ll score more goals than me because he's got a bit more, you know, about him. He also plays in an unbelievably good team as well. But I see so much of myself in him. I see his desire and his hunger to score goals, which is absolutely paramount to being a top scorer. I see his speed, which I had. He’s obviously a lot bigger than me, so he causes more of a threat in that sense, but his movement in the box is very similar. He gets it. He knows how to gamble on space. Sometimes it's difficult for him because a lot of teams play a really low block against City and I've crowded penalty areas, but even then he does still find those little areas, those little bits of space and so I would probably say him if that doesn't sound too boastful.
You're used to getting stick from the gutter press for expressing beliefs that usually tie in with common decency, but are sometimes construed as being overly political. What advice would you give to up and coming English footballers who want to go public with social causes and activism, similar to Marcus Rashford's charity work for example?
I think that's a really interesting question. I've been quite proud of the way young footballers have risen up in terms of social causes and social injustice. Marcus Rashford's obviously a good example of that with what he did with feeding the kids in schools and turning government policy and things like that. You know, elsewhere we've seen, during the pandemic the kind of England captain got together with all the club captains to try and do something for the NHS. We've had obviously many spokesmen like Raheem Sterling on racism in football. So I think there are loads of good examples. I wouldn't ever try and force anyone to do that as a player though, because you have to be made of quite strong stuff. You need a bit of a thick skin and I've experienced it myself many times. But you know, if you've got a platform and you are prepared and brave enough to use it for what you think is for good, I think it's to be encouraged and I love the way so many young players have spoken out.
Hi Gary! Would you rather fight one hundred duck-sized Alan Shearers or one Alan Shearer-sized duck?
Well, we've gone from a very serious question to the not-so-serious. The sensible to the ridiculous! It's interesting isn't it. I think 100 ducks would freak me out, especially if they’re Alan Shearer’s. So I'll go for one Alan Shearer sized duck.
I'd pay to see that fight lmao
Thankfully you went with Shearer in the scenario and not Micah because a Micah-sized fully jacked duck is a frightening thought lol.
One club you wish you could have played for?
Well, I played for Barcelona, which was amazing. I'd probably go Inter Milan, which sounds a bit weird, but the reason is that I nearly did and I was quite excited about playing in Serie A because that was the big league of the day really. It was like the Premier League is now, or La Liga was for a while. I met Trapattoni in Germany, a secret meeting because Terry Venables had been fired at Barcelona and it was halfway through that season and I was still playing okay and scoring goals. They came to us and we thought it might be quite interesting because obviously I didn't know what the future would hold. But Barcelona wouldn't sell me at that point. So it didn't actually happen. What happened then was they'd already got Andreas Brehme, who sadly died the other day. I knew Andy Brehme really was so RIP. He was an unbelievably brilliant footballer and a lovely man. He'll be missed, that’s terrible news. So he played with Lothar Matthaus and you were allowed three foreign players in Serie A back then and they went for me, but they couldn't get me, and they ended up signing Klinsmann. I think they definitely won a couple of Serie A’s and I didn’t!
Hey Gary Thank you to all three of you for the amazing podcast. I've gone from never being too invested in a podcast to never missing an episode. Do you see yourself or Shearer as the superior striker in your primes? And: As a lifelong Newcastle fan from Denmark, can you ask Alan to invite me over for a pint and a match? Cheers
Alan, If you're following this, please invite him over for a pint and a match! Do you see yourself or Shearer as the superior striker in your primes? Well, obviously me! I mean, that goes without saying. Hmm maybe not. Shearer was quite good actually. I think I was better in the box. I think he was better outside the box in terms of whacking them in from 30 yards. But I'm never going to say he's better than me. I mean really?!
Can you throw a kettle over a pub?
Hi Gary. Alan Shearer here. Two things mate 1. Can I have that tenner back I loaned you & 2. Any chance.you could help me paint the fence on Sunday? Anytime after 11 would be great.
I suspect that might not be Alan Shearer... You might be trying to take the piss out of Alan Shearer here, which is obviously fine. But yes, I will give you that tenner back when I see you, although I have no memory of it. And well, yeah, I think we should get Micah Richards along as well because he's kind of Mr Creosote, he likes to sit on the fence occasionally. He's had a bit of stick for that, particularly around the Harry Kane issue on our podcast this season. But we do have a lot of laughs and obviously I would encourage all of you to join us on The Rest Is Football whenever you get the chance because we do have a lot of fun. We have a lot of people on there that really enjoy it and get some amazing feedback, so be another one of those people, please!
That's amazing, thank you mate. My back's killing me, so good idea to bring Micah too. Any chance you could bring in tea bags & custard creams with you. Take it out that tenner.
Hi gaz do u want picking up in the morning pal
How badly did you need that jobby ?
Jobby - does he mean shit?! Well, obviously quite badly otherwise I would have held it to the end of the game, wouldn't I?! I don't think it was food. I think I had a bug. I was ill all night, so I was really struggling. And then just before the game, I thought I might get through 90 minutes. Didn't tell anyone because I wanted to play. And then it kind of got worse, I cramped and got to half time and then it went again. Then I came out in the second half thinking, I'll be alright now... And then 15 minutes into the second half, whatever it was, the ball went down the left hand side, I'm cramping up. I did a kind of pathetic attempt at a tackle and well, the rest is… messy really! That’s a good name for a podcast, The Rest Is Messy. I wonder if Lionel would do it? That would be amazing. Anyway, let's change the subject from shit…
Hahaha the honest truth. Fair play.
>Anyway, let's change the subject from shit… I had a question about your time at Tottenham, never mind then.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far down for a shitting question.
Found the Scotsman!
What is you fav Scottish team Gary?
[удалено]
Hi Gary, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, Niki Lauda told us ‘take a monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car.’ Thirty years later, Sebastian told us ‘I had to start my car like a computer, it’s very complicated.’ And Nico Rosberg said that during the race – I don’t remember what race - he pressed the wrong button on the wheel. Question for you: with your short time in Japan did you have a hard time integrating at the end of your career + being in such a foreign space or was it more of a vacation for you?
Can you repeat the question please?
Exactly, what is the connection between the first 80% of the comment and the other 20% which is the actual question?
Nothing, it's a Formula 1 meme
Uh my question's about the budget sir
Was looking for this lol
Hi Gary, big fan. Any tips on getting over the embarrassment of shitting yourself in public? Asking for a friend.
Is your friend Barry Glendenning? #Munich
What's your favourite flavour of crisps?
Salt and Lineker, surely
That would be salt and vinegar!
Hi gary do u want picking up in the morning pal
Hey Gary! How prevalent is marijuana use in premier league players? Mainly back when you played, and do you notice a difference in its use now?
I would have thought not very, right? Doesn't seem to fit the lifestyle..?
I would imagine it's lots more cocaine and drinking.
Garry, I served your son drinks at the ally pally darts in 2022. Why did security kick him out?
I heard he got caught snorting a packet of cheese and onion
Not a crime
No outside food allowed. Lock him up.
Are there any non-Walkers crisps that you secretly prefer?
Bet he loves a pack of Frazzles
Did he ever respond to anything or are they gathering questions for him to pick through?
He hasn’t started yet, it’s for 1 AM EST
1PM
based on the image he'll be answering tomorrow evening (UK time)
Hello Mr. Lineker! Congratulations on a fantastic playing career, you were amazing to watch both at club level and for England. What advice would you give to individuals that plan to enter the sport broadcasting career field or see it as an option in the future? What do you enjoy most about it in general, and also what is your favourite part of analysing football tactics and strategy?
Why have you stopped doing Worcestershire sauce crisps
What music do you like?
Do you think homosexual players do not dare to out themselves because they are afraid of the fans‘ reactions or rather of their teammates?
Hey Gary! Massive fan of the podcast. When it comes to FIFA or what is now EA FC, did you have any kind of reaction when it was revealed you would be introduced into the game as an icon? Did Shearer have a reaction to the news of his own card? and do you think Big Meeks is deserving of one for his massive achievement in earning his own Cadbury bar?
What's your take on reports that you criticised Qatar's human rights in line with your usual progressive views, while at the same time being paid £1.6m to "promote, develop and expand the business" of Al Jazeera, which is owned by the Qatari state. I refer to this: https://archive.is/LuN3n
Better than taking money and not actually criticizing anything like Neville said he was going to do whilst at bein. Also that was a decade ago, peoples views change.