Lineker began his football career at Leicester City and became known as a prolific goalscorer ; despite failing to score in his first ten games, he finished as the First Division's joint top goalscorer in 1984 – 85 and earned his first England cap.

Lineker began his career at his home town club Leicester City after leaving school.

However he began to break into being a regular starter in 1981 and forging a prolific strike-force alongside Alan Smith, Lineker hit 19 goals in all competitions in the 1981 – 82 season.

England internationals Peter Shilton, Gary Lineker, David Nish, Steve Whitworth and Emile Heskey, as well as Don Revie, who played for and managed England all began their careers with the Foxes.

The Blues opened the scoring when Gary Lineker outpaced Alan Hansen to shoot past Grobbelaar at the second attempt and held this lead until half-time as Liverpool struggled to find their usual rhythm.

Lineker crossed for Platt to open the scoring on four minutes, with a miss-kicked volley.

Lineker crossed for Platt to open the scoring on four minutes, with a miss-kicked volley.

Lineker was a great success at the Camp Nou, scoring 21 goals during his first season, including a hat-trick in a 3 – 2 win over Real Madrid.

Kevin Sheedy scores for the Republic, with Gary Lineker scoring for England.

He formed successful scoring partnerships with Andy Gray, Adrian Heath and Gary Lineker.

While he was at Everton, they reached the FA Cup final for the third year in a row but they lost 3 – 1 to Liverpool, despite Lineker giving them an early lead when he outpaced Alan Hansen to score.

Lineker still helped out on the stall at the height of his playing career during the late 1980s and early 1990s, though usually only in the closed season.

His oldest son George survived a rare form of leukaemia as a baby in the early 1990s ; Lineker now supports children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and has since appeared in adverts encouraging people to give blood as a result.

After they went 1 – 0 down early in the second half, Gascoigne's Spurs team-mate Gary Lineker equalised for England with ten minutes remaining to force extra time.

However, when " Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life " was adopted as a football chant in the late 1980s, Idle's then neighbour Gary Lineker suggested Idle re-record and release the popular track.

Lineker was born in Leicester to Barry and Margaret Lineker ( both born 1939 ).

Lineker first attended Caldecote Road School ( Caldecote Juniors ), Braunstone in Leicester ( east of the Meridian Centre ) although he lived outside the borough.

Lineker was made a freeman of the City of Leicester ( which entitles him to graze his sheep — should he have any — on Town Hall Square ) in 1995 and he is often referred to as " Leicester's favourite son ".

In October 2002, Lineker backed a £ 5 million bid to rescue his former club Leicester City which recently had gone into administration, describing his involvement as charity rather than an ego trip.

Lineker is now honorary vice-president of Leicester City, along with former players Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton.

The same year, Heskey made a six-figure donation to aid a consortium led by Gary Lineker in their bid to buy-out his former club, Leicester City, who were experiencing financial difficulties.

Both Emile Heskey and Gary Lineker ( Winner of the Golden Boot ) attended the City of Leicester College in Evington, as did former Labour media advisor Alistair Campbell and Dr. Nicholas Shepherd ( Co-founder of the internet ).

The road running through the development is called Lineker Road, after Gary Lineker, one of Leicester City's most famous players.

Then came the arrival of England striker Gary Lineker from Leicester City in the 1985 close season.

The stadium was officially opened by former Leicester striker Gary Lineker on 23 July 2002.

Gary Lineker, the broadcaster and former England captain, recalls the terror he felt when Jock Wallace, then manager of Leicester City, " pinned me against the dressing room wall at half-time and called me a lazy English this and that.

Whereas Lineker had developed into a world class goalscorer after moving from Leicester to Everton ( along with subsequent clubs FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur ), Newell's form at Goodison Park was less spectacular as he formed a three-man strikeforce with Graeme Sharp and Tony Cottee, and with three strikers in the first eleven there was little pressure on any of them to score 20 or 30 goals a season.

Lineker scored three hat-tricks for Everton ; at home to Birmingham City in a 4 – 1 league win on 31 August 1985, at home to Manchester City in a 4 – 0 home win on 11 February 1986, and then in the penultimate league game of the season on 3 May 1986, when they kept their title hopes alive with a 6 – 1 home win over Southampton.

England won the group after a 1-1 draw with Ireland, a 0-0 draw with the Dutch ( in which England had two goals disallowed from Stuart Pearce and Gary Lineker ) and a 1-0 win against Egypt.

Lineker scored twice and Peter Beardsley once as England went through 3 – 0 and into a quarter final meeting with Argentina, a match which again would ultimately form part of the legend of Shilton's whole career.

They were once again drawn in the same group as England, which included Lineker, Robson, Beardsley and Barnes as well as Paul Gascoigne and Chris Waddle.

Gary Lineker made it two, and although Alan Smith pulled one back for the Gunners before half-time, Lineker scored again in the second half to seal the result.

Gary Winston Lineker OBE ( born 30 November 1960 ) is an English former footballer, who played as a striker.

Lineker made his England debut in 1984 and over the following eight years earned 80 caps and scored 48 goals, finishing as England's all-time second highest scorer behind Bobby Charlton.

Lineker also worked on other programmes at the BBC.

Since 1994, Lineker has featured in several television commercials for Walkers Crisps.

He has four sons with his ex-wife Michelle and is now married to model Danielle Lineker.

In a senior career which spanned 16 years and 567 competitive games, Lineker scored a total of 282 goals at club level.

Lineker was equally talented at both football and cricket.

Lineker left school with four O Levels.

In the 1985 close season, Lineker was sold to defending league champions Everton for £ 800, 000, and scored 40 goals in 57 games for his new team.

After winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Lineker was signed by Barcelona for £ 2, 800, 000.

Lineker played in Barcelona's home and away defeats to Dundee United.

Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff decided to play Lineker on the right of the midfield and he eventually lost his place in the first team.

Alex Ferguson attempted to sign Lineker to partner his ex-Barcelona team-mate Mark Hughes in attack, but Lineker spurned the Manchester club.

This was despite Lineker having a goal controversially disallowed for offside and also having a penalty saved by goalkeeper Mark Crossley.

Lineker had contributed to Tottenham's run to the final.

Lineker ended his career with an injury-plagued spell in Japan's J.

Lineker also scored a brace against Paraguay in the second round of the tournament.