Footballer, broadcaster, podcast mogul: the career of Gary Lineker
And what it says about modern Britain
The afterlives of English footballers typically involve a stint in coaching or a spot of punditry. The glaring exceptions are David Beckham, a businessman and walking brand, and Gary Lineker. “He’s probably got the edge on looks,” Mr Lineker concedes, in the self-deprecatory tone that helped make him an A-list broadcaster and, in his latest incarnation, a podcast star. His career—a startling run of successes, punctuated by controversy—encapsulates deep trends and faultlines in England’s personality.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The parable of Gary Lineker”
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