After a segment on Match of the Day that did not sit well with Manchester United supporters, Gary Lineker came under fire.
Gary Lineker had to backtrack (Image: Getty)
Host of Match of the Day Gary Lineker got into a lot of trouble with Manchester United supporters after joking about Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman was not amused by Lineker’s joke, despite scoring an incredible 150 goals in just 219 games during his five-year stay at Old Trafford.
The story was revealed when Lineker and Alan Shearer were talking about catchy nicknames for former teammates and players on the podcast The Rest is Football. He remembered the backlash he faced after making a physical appearance comment about Van Nistelrooy.
Speaking of long-faced ones, Lineker remarked, “I got into a little controversy once [about] something I said on television. Do you recall the lengthy [face] of Ruud van Nistelrooy? In the post-match interviews we play before the analysis, he appeared with what appeared to be a horse’s head in this specific shot.
The host then discussed the criticism he received from United fans for his remarks regarding the former striker. “They just won a game and he didn’t seem very happy so I just said ‘come on Ruud, why the long face’, and I got so much stick from Man United fans, I apologised,” he admitted.
Following his retirement in 2012, Van Nistelrooy pursued a career in coaching. He achieved success with PSV Eindhoven, winning the KNVB Cup before leaving the team in 2023 allegedly for lack of support, according to the Mirror.
Since then, the Dutch icon has stated how excited he is to return to the Premier League’s hustle or take on a managerial role in Spain. Van Nistelrooy told Diario AS, “I have had conversations with Spanish clubs and I would really like to work in Spain.”
“But I also want to coach in the other leagues that I have played in. In the Bundesliga and the Premier League.”
