George Lineker has suggested dad Gary could quit Match of the Day for good when his contract runs out in two years' time.
The 62-year-old presenter has been embroiled in controversy this past week after being stepped down from his duties on the long-running BBC football highlights show after criticism of his comments comparing the Tories' new policy on migrants to that of 'Nazi Germany'.
Lineker will not present Match of the Day on Saturday evening after refusing to back down over his comments, forcing the BBC to axe him from the show until they could come to an agreement. But the BBC's move has backfired with colleagues including fellow pundits also pulling out of the broadcast and other shows.
Son George, 31, insists his father will return to front the show after BBC director general Tim Davie apologised for the saga, but hinted he could walk away in the not-too-distant future.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, George said: "Dad doesn't know yet what the future holds for him, right now his contract is his contract. But - in the nicest of ways, and he won't mind me saying this - he is getting old. He's put in a great shift and when his contract expires he will be 64.
"I think maybe at that point he would want to work a bit less. But let's see what happens, it's early days, and it's for him to say what he does next."
Lineker is on a £1.3million-per-year contract which is up for renewal in 2025. George added: "This week has been very overwhelming, and I do think it has been hurtful for Dad. But all the support he has received has made him feel a lot better and I know he has no regrets."
George revealed how his dad "put on a brave face" when he initially faced backlash, but broke down in tears when friends and pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer both stepped down from Saturday's show in support.
"To take him off the air for having a voice is harsh, and I think he was surprised, and a bit disappointed," George said. "Free speech is important and he shouldn't have been punished for that.
"But the reaction to all of this has been more than Dad ever thought it would be, and that just shows he did the right thing. After it all kicked off, me and my brothers messaged him saying: 'We're proud of you' and he replied: 'Cheers boys' with a thumbs up emoji.
"Later he told us that he'd been so overwhelmed by the support. He wrote: 'Shearer and Wrighty backing down made me emotional, it means a lot to me.'
"I think he did cry when he found out about that. The support has been a positive thing to come out of this."
Lineker was called into the BBC studios on Friday as he and his team tried to resolve the situation with BBC chiefs. But the network has since had to issue a grovelling apology as a number of their staff pulled out of various shows in solidarity with their colleague, though George feels the issue will be settled eventually.
"Will he go back to Match of the Day? I think so - he loves Match of the Day," George added. "But he won't ever back down on his word."
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