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Footballer turned pundit has "apologised unreservedly" after an Instagram Story believed to contain anti-Semitic content was reposted on his account. However, Jewish staff at the BBC are reportedly "disgusted" and there have been calls for him to be sacked. The commentator has an estimated net worth of £30 million, with much of his income now being derived from his BBC salary - but his pro-Palestinian views, expressed during a time of intense conflict in Gaza, have sparked debate. The broadcaster has strict rules calling for impartiality from those who represent them on the airwaves, although it was subsequently argued that as a freelancer, not a staffer, and a sports presenter rather than a news journalist, his situation was a little different.

Just over two years ago, Gary was suspended from his BBC post over controversial comments he made about the then Tory government's asylum seeker policy, before returning to the broadcaster. However, his latest social media post, featuring an illustration of a rat and an anti-Semitic inference, has sparked backlash. The post which was since been deleted featured a rat and was reposted from a group called Palestinian Lobby, and was captioned: "Zionism explained in two minutes." The Match of the Day host has issued a statement about what took place, declaring: "On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. I very much regret these references. I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in. The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue."

He continued: "Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters. I take full responsibility for this mistake." Lineker added that the image did not "reflect" his views, concluding: "It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly."

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