Gary Lineker
A Portrait of a Football Icon: 'AN ESSENTIAL READ' FourFourTwo
Published on 4. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-3994-1703-7 (ISBN)
Description
'Full of pace and style, just like its subject ... a vivid, nostalgic reminder of Lineker's greatness as a player' - Leo McKinstry
'Chris Evans has done the hard yards on Lineker's football career.. faithfully detailing the life of a hard-working footballer at the highest level' - Roger Alton, The Times
ENGLAND CAPTAIN. WORLD CUP HERO. SERIAL GOALSCORER. MATCH OF THE DAY HOST. FOOTBALL ICON.
As player and pundit, Gary Lineker has been a prominent figure in English football for more than 40 years. He scored 48 goals in 80 games for England - coming within a penalty of being the country's record goalscorer - and is the only player to have topped the goalscoring charts at three different clubs. He famously never received a red or yellow card, and hosted the BBC's Match of the Day for 25 years. In recognition of his broadcast work, Lineker won the prestigious National Television Awards 'Best Presenter' prize in 2025.
This enlightening biography - the first for 30 years - follows Lineker's career, from his school days to his phenomenal goalscoring record and development as a media personality. Through meticulous research and interviews with teammates and opponents, coaches and commentators, journalist Chris Evans reveals the inside stories and backroom anecdotes from his early days at Leicester City; the big-money moves to Everton and Tottenham Hotspur; and the highs and lows of spells at Barcelona and Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan.
Gary Lineker always played with a smile on his face and an assassin's touch in front of goal, while his charm and playful humour won over millions on TV. This biography provides a fascinating insight into one of English football's most popular characters.
'Chris Evans has done the hard yards on Lineker's football career.. faithfully detailing the life of a hard-working footballer at the highest level' - Roger Alton, The Times
ENGLAND CAPTAIN. WORLD CUP HERO. SERIAL GOALSCORER. MATCH OF THE DAY HOST. FOOTBALL ICON.
As player and pundit, Gary Lineker has been a prominent figure in English football for more than 40 years. He scored 48 goals in 80 games for England - coming within a penalty of being the country's record goalscorer - and is the only player to have topped the goalscoring charts at three different clubs. He famously never received a red or yellow card, and hosted the BBC's Match of the Day for 25 years. In recognition of his broadcast work, Lineker won the prestigious National Television Awards 'Best Presenter' prize in 2025.
This enlightening biography - the first for 30 years - follows Lineker's career, from his school days to his phenomenal goalscoring record and development as a media personality. Through meticulous research and interviews with teammates and opponents, coaches and commentators, journalist Chris Evans reveals the inside stories and backroom anecdotes from his early days at Leicester City; the big-money moves to Everton and Tottenham Hotspur; and the highs and lows of spells at Barcelona and Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan.
Gary Lineker always played with a smile on his face and an assassin's touch in front of goal, while his charm and playful humour won over millions on TV. This biography provides a fascinating insight into one of English football's most popular characters.
Reviews / Votes
[A] fantastic book about a brilliant life ... immensely readable * Paul Ross, talkSPORT * Superb ... a brilliant, insightful read from the first page to the last. * Daniel Taylor * I have full admiration for Gary's career, both as a goal-scoring footballer and tv front man presenter... Neither role is easy and simple. -- Bob Wilson OBE Gary figured out the secret of goalscoring - where to move, when, and what to do when he got there. Few have grasped it so well. * Alan Smith * Chris Evans has done the hard yards on Lineker's football career, talking to former team-mates, reporters and several football managers, and taking us in some detail through long-forgotten games, a hat-trick here, a goalless defeat there, but faithfully detailing the life of a hard-working footballer at the highest level. * Roger Alton, The Times * A detailed and well-written biography about the fastest brain in the box. * Barry Davies MBE * Full of pace and style, just like its subject, this book is a vivid, nostalgic reminder of Lineker's greatness as a player in his golden years * Leo McKinstry * An essential read * Matthew Holt, FourFourTwo * Skilfully crafted - there is not much more you can ask from a biography * Patrick Barclay * This account is like Lineker the player: fast-paced and never short of entertainment * FourFourTwo * Evans has written the comprehensive biography of probably the most prominent figure in English football of the last 40 years. Lineker has been in our lives for as long as many of us can remember, and this tells his story brilliantly. * Nick Miller * A fascinating insight into one of football's most popular characters * Late Tackle magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 129 mm
Width: 198 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
230 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-1703-7 (9781399417037)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
01/2025
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€10.49
Available for download
E-Book
01/2025
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€10.49
Available for download
Person
Chris Evans regularly writes for FourFourTwo, with his work also appearing in the Guardian, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph and other national papers, as well as the BBC Sport and Mail websites. He is the author of How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football's Top Managers.
Content
Prologue
1. On the market (1960-68)
2. Early instincts (Aylestone Road, 1968-76)
3. City boy (Leicester City, 1976-81)
4. Big break (Leicester City, 1982-84)
5. The Call up (England, 1984
6. Moving On (Leicester City, 1984-85)
7. Goodison goals (Everton, 1985-86)
8. One Game in Mexico (England, 1986)
9. A Nou adventure (Barcelona, 1986-88)
10. Euro failure (England, 1988)
11. Catalonian cull (Barcelona, 1988-89)
12. A Return Home (Tottenham, 1989-90)
13. The Italian job (England, 1990)
14. White Hot Lane (Tottenham, 1990-91)
15. So long, farewell... (Tottenham, 1991-92)
16. Captaincy, records and fall outs (England, 1990-92)
17. A New Adventure (Nagoya Grampus Eight, 1992-94)
18. Star turn (1994-2000)
19. Standing Up (2000-ongoing)
Epilogue
List of images
References and sources
Acknowledgements
1. On the market (1960-68)
2. Early instincts (Aylestone Road, 1968-76)
3. City boy (Leicester City, 1976-81)
4. Big break (Leicester City, 1982-84)
5. The Call up (England, 1984
6. Moving On (Leicester City, 1984-85)
7. Goodison goals (Everton, 1985-86)
8. One Game in Mexico (England, 1986)
9. A Nou adventure (Barcelona, 1986-88)
10. Euro failure (England, 1988)
11. Catalonian cull (Barcelona, 1988-89)
12. A Return Home (Tottenham, 1989-90)
13. The Italian job (England, 1990)
14. White Hot Lane (Tottenham, 1990-91)
15. So long, farewell... (Tottenham, 1991-92)
16. Captaincy, records and fall outs (England, 1990-92)
17. A New Adventure (Nagoya Grampus Eight, 1992-94)
18. Star turn (1994-2000)
19. Standing Up (2000-ongoing)
Epilogue
List of images
References and sources
Acknowledgements