Gary Lineker will host the BBC’s first ever live Premier League game on Saturday – with his boss saying the Match of the Day hotseat is his for as long as he wants it.
A record TV audience is expected to tune in for Bournemouth’s clash with Crystal Palace, which is the first top-flight match the Beeb have broadcast live since 1988.
And in a rare interview to mark the occasion, Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport, has lauded the long-serving Lineker, who is the corporation’s best-paid presenter, earning £1.