Gary kicking back after his Final fling
HE may have a job most men envy, but Gary Lineker admits he needs a proper break now that he’s “getting old”.
The Match of the Day host will be taking a two-month “sabbatical” in the summer and plans to tour Europe and America.
He hosted the European Championships last summer and increased his workload since joining BT Sport, meaning he has worked for two years without much downtime.
Gary, 56, says: “This summer I am going to disappear for a couple of months. I am a bit whacked – it has been a long season and I have done a lot of stuff and I need a rest. So I am going to travel a bit.
“I have said no to lots of things this summer to make sure I relax. I am getting old now, so I have to look after myself a bit better. I’ll be doing Europe and America.”
Before then, the dad-offour will be busy with the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Arsenal tomorrow evening. Like most people, his money is on the former.
“They have had an exceptional season. They will have bags of confidence. Arsenal, by contrast, have had their poorest season under Wenger.”
Gary may be looking forward to his long, lazy holiday but he’s still hugely excited about the FA Cup.
“With live football matches, you can only rehearse until kick-off.
“You are then reactive to what happens. There is no script, which is the fun part of it.”
Gary Lineker presents the FA Cup Final 2017: Chelsea v Arsenal live on BBC1 tomorrow, with build-up from 4.15pm and kick-off at 5.30pm.