Match of The Day: Gary Lineker insists he has 'no intentions' of quitting the show

He has already hosted Match of The Day for almost 17 years but it looks like Gary Lineker plans to be around for a while yet. The 55-year-old former footballer has rubbished rumours that his departure is imminent, insisting that he has "no intentions" of quitting the TV show.

Speculation has been rife that Lineker could walk following his paycut after joining BT Sport for their coverage of the Champions League. Speaking to Digital Spy at the launch of Walkers Crisps' latest holiday campaign, Lineker, who is the brand's ambassador said: "I'm still going strong, I've got no intentions of leaving unless pushed!"

He added that he felt honoured to be part of one of the BBC's flagship programmes: "The figures are remarkable, bucking the trend of any sports highlight show. I feel honoured and proud to have been entrusted with presenting the programme for such a long time."

Elsewhere in the interview, the father-of-four opened up about the emotional rollercoaster he had been on as a result of Leicester City's glory season. Leicester, Lineker's first professional team, were bottom of the Premier League on 4 April 2015 with just nine games of the season remaining but escaped relegation. This season the club are at the top of the Premier League with just three matches to go.

"I'm not trying to [think about the title], to be honest. Everyone knows I'm a Leicester fan, and have been for a long time," he said. "I think trying to pretend I'm not enjoying it, would just be a little bit false. I feel a little bit guilty sometimes, but I think most people around the country are getting behind Leicester, which is incredible."

He added that he never envisaged that his team would be on top and was afraid that he may "implode" with excitement. Unfortunately for him he has already agreed to present the show in his pants if they do win. "The main thing is that Leicester win. It would be a lovely dilemma to have. I'll obviously have to face up to it, and I doubt I'll be left with much choice! Let's get over that line first and then we'll worry about the pants!"​