Gary Lineker opens up on having four sons and reveals his 'mistake' that still haunts him

Gary Lineker has travel cleanable astir the 'tactical error' helium made erstwhile deciding which shot squad his archetypal calved son, George, would support

Gary Lineker has confessed to a blunder erstwhile helium told his eldest son, George, that helium couldn't enactment Manchester United.

The Leicester City fan, who volition step down from hosting BBC's Match of the Day at the extremity of this play and shares 4 sons with ex-wife Michelle Cockayne, made a misstep erstwhile his firstborn expressed a tendency to enactment the Red Devils.

As Lineker grew up supporting his hometown Foxes, helium would apt person expected that said fanaticism would passed down to lad George - though helium was gravely mistaken.

A speedy refusal to the imaginable of leaning United's mode lone encouraged his present 33-year-old lad to further specified emotion - a determination the 63-year-old present recognises arsenic an error.

When quizzed by a listener connected The Rest Is Football podcast astir however overmuch sway 1 should person implicit their child's shot allegiances, Lineker admitted: "I made a benignant of tactical mistake with my eldest lad George, who is precise contrary, let's say.

"I deliberation I've talked astir his enactment for Manchester United. All my different 3 boys enactment Leicester, and I possibly learnt from my erstwhile mistake. George came location from schoolhouse 1 day, helium indispensable person been astir 4 oregon five, helium went, 'Dad, dad, I'm gonna enactment Manchester United similar my person John.' I went - and I made a mistake - I said 'no you're not.'

"And instantly helium thought, 'oh, I similar this; I similar this contrary aspect'. So, that's wherefore I've got 1 Manchester United protagonist and 3 Leicester fans."

Speaking alongside chap pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, the burning question of allegiances was enactment to the former: "Well, my lad was calved fractional a mile from St James' Park, truthful helium didn't truly person a choice. It was ever going to beryllium Newcastle. Well, the girls... Newcastle, yeah."

Lineker couldn't defy stepping in, directing the spotlight towards Richards who kicked disconnected his shot aspirations with Leeds United successful his schoolboy years, earlier signing with Manchester City astatine the property of 14, reports the Express.

"Now this is the absorbing question Micah Richards, your young son," Lineker probed. "How are you influencing him successful presumption of what squad helium supports?"

"It's a disaster," Richards chuckled. "It's an implicit disaster. He talked astir Man United due to the fact that of [Marcus] Rashford, and I said I volition ne'er instrumentality you to shot again if you enactment Man United. He's a Yorkshireman. We can't bash that. Then, helium started liking [Erling] Haaland, but helium besides likes [Bukayo] Saka arsenic well. He's got a half-and-half scarf astatine the moment. Embarrassing!

"Who would I similar him to support? I would accidental Man City, lone because... Because the nine determination person been astonishing with me, obviously, my lad arsenic well. Manchester City, I'm not going to springiness you an explanation," which prompted Lineker to cheekily retort: "I can't hold to spot him successful an Arsenal kit!"

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