Gary Lineker will continue to rake in staggering paydays despite fresh doubts over his future as BBC Match of the Day host following the emergence of an email which suggests Saturday will be his final appearance on the show.
The message, seen by Mail Sport, purports to be from the broadcaster’s director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, and features a statement announcing the former England striker’s departure after 25 years presenting the iconic show.
However, Lineker - who found success as a Three Lions star - won't need to be concerned about a drop in earnings after the huge sums his podcast is raking in were revealed.
Throughout Euro 2024 that saw England go all the way to the final before losing to Spain, Lineker was joined by Alan Shearer and Micah Richards for his The Rest is Football podcast.
The huge popularity of the show that throughout the European Championship saw Lineker and his co-presenters give their critical verdict of performances has so far raked in £125,000 for the presenter, as reported by The Times.
Gary Lineker will continue to rake in huge paydays if he decides to step down as Match of the Day host
Lineker has been the BBC's main anchor on their flagship MOTD show since 1999
Lineker (right) alongside co-hosts Micah Richards (middle) and Alan Shearer (left) has seen his The Rest Is Football podcast benefit from huge revenue
Ambitious and deep-pocketed advertisers offered to pay £45 for every 1000 views as long as Lineker and his colleagues mention them, while also paying £15 just to be associated with the program.
Throughout the course of Euro 2024, the podcast was downloaded 19.6 million times that has led to a huge increase in money being paid up by advertisers keen to be promoted.
Lineker's son Harry - who is one of four children - produces the podcast and previously revealed that the popularity of the show saw downloads increase by over 60 per cent throughout the Euros, while there was also a spike in views on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Lineker continues to be the face of Walkers crisps and across a three-year contract with the snack manufacturer in 2020 earned a reported £1.2m.
The deal also saw Lineker take on a new new ambassadorial role for the firm that also means he will appear in fewer adverts moving forward.
Lineker previously revealed in December that he has no plans of stepping down from his duties with the snack food organisation, stating at the time: 'One thing is guaranteed, if I'm still alive, I'll still be doing Walkers.'
Meanwhile, Lineker continues to be the face of Walkers crisps and across a three-year contract with the snack manufacturer in 2020 earned a reported £1.2m
Lineker could be tempted into other broadcasting opportunities if he decides to leave the BBC
The former Everton, Leicester City, and Barcelona striker is currently the BBC's top earner, taking home £1.35m for his football broadcasting services.
However, should he step down from the Beeb then Lineker isn't expected to be shot of offers from other rival broadcasters that are keen to recruit the iconic host.
It was recently revealed that Laura Woods paid herself an eye-watering £400,000 dividend to celebrate her move to ITV and TNT Sports, with Lineker likely to command an even bigger fee given his history in sports broadcasting.
TNT Sports or Amazon Video could look to bring the veteran into their roster for Champions League coverage, while Sky Sports could potentially lure Lineker in as a host on their Premier League fixtures.