Gary Lineker resigns from Match of the Day amid impartiality row and Ian Wright tells BBC he won’t appear on next show

The BBC has announced that Gary Lineker is stepping down from his duties as presenter of the Match of the Day.

Lineker recently criticized the UK government’s new asylum policy, comparing the language of the bill to “the language of Germany in the 1930s”.

As a result, the former England striker told reporters he wasn’t worried about a possible suspension.

However, amid the impartiality dispute, a BBC spokesman said: “The BBC have had extensive discussions with Gary and his team over the last few days.

“We have said we view his recent social media activity as a violation of our policies.

“The BBC has decided that he will step down from presenting Match of the Day until we have an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.

“When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.

“We never said that Gary should be in a no-opinion zone or that he can’t have an opinion on issues that are important to him, but we did say that he should steer clear of taking sides on partisan issues or political controversies. “

He tweeted: “Everyone knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t do it tomorrow. Solidarity.”

Laura Woods was among those who praised Wright for his decision, as the talkSPORT host and Arsenal fan responded with a series of clapping hands emojis.

In the days after his comments drew criticism, Lineker continued Twitter: “I have never experienced so much love and support in my life as I did this morning [England World Cup goals aside, possibly].

“I want to thank each and every one of you. That means a lot. I will keep trying to stand up for these poor souls who have no voice. Cheers everyone.”

Lineker has presented Match of the Day since the late 1990s, the longest tenure of any of its presenters.

He is therefore a regular on TV screens on Saturday nights when the BBC airs highlights of Premier League action.