Lineker feelings clear at Leicester relegation – 'Completely out of your mind' (2025)

Leicester City were relegated to the Championship following a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool and Foxes icon Gary Lineker says he's been expecting the drop for some time

Gary Lineker has confessed that it didn't feel like he was watching the real Leicester City during their 1-0 defeat by Liverpool. The Foxes' defeat at home on Sunday signalled a rapid return to the second tier after just one season in the Premier League, marking their second relegation in three years.

With a mere four victories this season, the former league champions are languishing in 19th place with only 18 points. Despite a dismal day at the King Power Stadium, Lineker remained optimistic about the club's achievements over the past decade.

On The Rest Is Football podcast, he conceded that he would have endured the agony of two relegations for the sake of their remarkable Premier League victory in 2016 and their FA Cup win five years later.

"It's been a mad decade, a really mad decade," said Lineker, who hails from Leicester. "But if you'd have told me 10 years ago or 12 years ago that Leicester City will win the Premier League and win the FA Cup and then get relegated twice, A: I'd have said, are you completely out of your mind and B: I would have snapped your hand off!

"Because those memories that we've had, I mean, basically we've gone back to being Leicester City. Leicester's always been a kind of yo-yo team, you know, down one season, up the next. That's pretty much our history."

While Leicester had their moments against the table-toppers, most notably when Wilfred Ndidi smashed the woodwork in the opening half, the Match of the Day host was bracing for the inevitable descent into relegation given they've won just one game since December, reports Leicestershire Live.

"This has been coming for weeks and weeks and it's been inevitable," he expressed. "I remember two years ago when it all happened on the last day of the season. I mean, that was like, that was really horribly distressing.

"But there's been a degree of certainty for quite some considerable time. Even watching the game today, obviously there wasn't any joy, but even though they played well, which was mildly encouraging, it didn't feel like I was watching my team play because you just know what's going to happen there."

Nevertheless, Lineker remained optimistic about the Foxes' potential to bounce back into the top-flight as he said: "But I looked at the players on the pitch today and if they can keep, which I'm sure they probably will keep the vast majority of them, they'll be very competitive in the Championship."

Ruud van Nistelrooy's return to management has been marred with disappointment and the Manchester United legend conceding his future is up in the air following Leicester's drop.

Post-relegation, he revealed: "I'm waiting on the clarity of the club and how they want to continue. It is the goal to lead the club. I have to wait on how the club sees things and take it from there."

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