England legend and former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker was spotted in the crowd as Crystal Palace hosted Manchester United in the Premier League.
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Lineker made 468 senior club appearances for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Leicester City and Everton.
Notably, however, he never had any connection to Palace or United.
Why was Gary Lineker at the Crystal Palace vs Manchester United game?
It was therefore slightly surprising when TNT Sports’ cameras cut to the former striker, taking in the game from the stands.
The game also happened to fall on Lineker’s 65th birthday, provoking well wishes from Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist on commentary.
📸Gary Lineker is watching the game from the stands.#CRYMUN #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/scfKMUJ225November 30, 2025
It’s widely known that Lineker is a boyhood Leicester City fan, a fact he regularly discusses on his podcast, The Rest Is Football.
He is also a passionate football fan, but nevertheless, attending a game between two teams he doesn’t support could be seen as a surprising way to spend his birthday.
The presenter’s link to the game is likely to be through Palace chairman and co-owner, Steve Parish, who he counts as a friend.
Speaking ahead of last season’s FA Cup final, Lineker told The Sunday Times: “I hope Crystal Palace win. Steve Parish is a friend of mine, and they’ve never won a trophy.”
Lineker also resides in Barnes, south-west London, so it was only a short hop across the city to attend the game.
A day out at the football is probably among the best ways to spend your birthday, in FourFourTwo’s opinion.
Even better when you’re close with the owner, and likely very well looked after in the stadium.
Lineker may have no personal connection to either side, but that may be a blessing in disguise, given his beloved Foxes’ current form.
