Why Gary Lineker has a soft spot for Manchester United

Gary Lineker has revealed he always has a soft spot for Manchester United after what the club did for him on his final ever appearance in the top flight.

Before becoming a familiar face on our TV screens as the host of Match of the Day, Lineker enjoyed a superb career in football. Counting Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur among his old clubs, the former forward bagged a whopping 113 goals in 171 appearances in Division One.

It was on his last ever appearance in the English top flight when United managed to earn a place in his heart forever. When asked about a time he had ever received a standing ovation from opposition supporters, Lineker recalled on The Rest is Football podcast: "I had one [standing ovation from opposition fans] which was very emotive.

"It was my last ever game for Tottenham in Division One before I went to Japan. It was at Old Trafford and I got a beautiful little trophy that Manchester United gave to me before the game, and Bryan Robson handed it to me, for my last ever appearance which was a really lovely touch from the club.

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"We then played the game and admittedly we were 3-0 down but with about 10 minutes to go the ball came across and I headed it past Peter Schmeichel in goal and the whole crowd sang my name and stood up. Honestly, I had a tear in my eye and it left me with a little soft spot, even though I never played for the club, for Manchester United because of the appreciation of the fans that day. It was really quite moving to get that."

The conversation surrounding standing ovations from opposition supporters was brought to the fore after 16-year-old Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal received one at the weekend