ZapGossip

Gary Lineker struggles to read Match of the Day notes without glasses

Gary Lineker struggles to read his ‘Match of the Day’ notes without his glasses.

The 59-year-old presenter has taken to writing his notes in bigger letters due to his deteriorating eyesight, and although he wears his spectacles more and more, it’s still proving to be a challenge.

The former England star said: "At first, I put them on just to read if there was a breaking news story or something like that.

"And then it came to the point that, however big I wrote my notes, I can’t see them any more. Every time I glanced down, I couldn’t read them.

"And I just thought, ‘Well, I’ll just put the glasses on.’ "

Gary wears special varifocal lenses, which allow him to view things at various distances – including the ‘Match of the Day’ pundits.

He told talkSPORT’s ‘Hawksbee and Jacobs Daily’ podcast: "If I just kept my reading glasses on, the guys would all be blurred."

Gary has become one of the country’s most popular TV presenters since hanging up his boots in 1994.

The ex-Barcelona star believes television work has given him a "much better life" than a career in coaching might have done.

Gary – who has also hosted the BBC’s golf coverage – previously explained: "I just think to be a manager you’ve got to live and breathe and have this incredible enthusiasm for football, the whole thing. And while I love the game, and it’s been a large part of my life, it’s not the only thing in my life.

"I wouldn’t want to go out six nights a week and watch somebody’s reserves playing to check out a footballer to see if we’re going to buy him. I have a much better life this way."