Gary Lineker has expressed his 'delight' at returning to Match of the Day after missing Saturday's episode following a dispute with the BBC following posting his political views on social media.
The football media world stood in solidarity with the former England international after it became clear the BBC had insisted he step back from his role as Match of the Day host on the weekend just gone.
BBC's flagship football highlights show was aired for 20 minutes and without any commentary or punditry reaction following the row with Mr Lineker.
READ MORE: Gary Lineker returns as BBC release statement and apology after u-turn
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The dispute began after the announcement on Tuesday of government plans to ban people arriving in the UK on "small boats" from ever claiming asylum. The former striker was criticised by Suella Braverman, the home secretary, and a number of Conservative MPs over a tweet he posted in response to the plans being revealed.
Mr Lineker wrote on Twitter that it was an 'immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s'. A BBC spokesperson said he would be off air until an agreement was reached on his future use of social media.
Following a u-turn from the BBC, Mr Lineker took to Twitter with 147 words to thank everyone for their support and explain his side of the story.
Gary Lineker's statement from Twitter in full
He said: "After a surreal few days, I’m delighted that we have navigated a way through this. I want to thank you all for the incredible support, particularly my colleagues at BBC Sport, for the remarkable show of solidarity. Football is a team game but their backing was overwhelming.
"I have been presenting sport on the BBC for almost 3 decades and am immeasurably proud to work with the best and fairest broadcaster in the world. I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday. A final thought: however difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away.
"It’s heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you. We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people. Thank you."
In a further tweet, Lineker added shortly after his initial statement: "Also, I’d like to thank Tim Davie for his understanding during this difficult period. He has an almost impossible job keeping everybody happy, particularly in the area of impartiality. I am delighted that we’ll continue to fight the good fight, together."
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