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Speaking on his TalkRadio show, Mr Wootton argued the BBC presenter should not express his political opinion as openly as he does if he wants to continue to work for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The radio host claimed Mr Lineker's recent comments in an interview with Radio Times Magazine on UK corruption were "disgusting".

He said: “I am very, very angry today, as you can tell, with Gary Lineker for this interview in the RadioTimes where he makes his political views so clear despite meant to be working for the impartial BBC.

“To start comparing the corruption in the UK to Russia.

“Now, you don’t need to be an expert in Russian studies to know quite how corrupt Russia is. Radio host Dan Wootton calls on the BBC to take action against Gary Lineker (Image: GETTY•TALKRADIO)

“And I think his comments are disgusting, I think the BBC needs to take action against him.

“I think we also need to remember that he has been paid £20000 for hosting the World Cup show in Moscow.

“And I think if Lineker wants to stay as the top sports presenter on the BBC, then he should stay as the sports presenter.

“If he wants to become a political commentator, especially given that this World Cup has come into the sport, he should work for a commercial organisation and not the BBC.


“I have no problem with him having views if he’s having views for a commercial organisation, for a news organisation outside of the BBC.

“But the BBC uses our money, he makes over a million pounds of our money, he has to be impartial.”

In an interview with Radio Times, the former England captain bemoaned political corruption in the UK and said we had no right to judge Russia, the country hosting this summer's World Cup.

Lineker said: "Who are we to start getting judgmental on who should have the World Cup?"
 
And he added: "We all know how corrupt our country is at times.

"Perhaps we don't like some things that Putin has done, but we'll be there, we'll be their guests."

Lineker, who will anchor the BBC's coverage of the Cup, was a guest in Moscow late last year when he fronted the World Cup draw - despite initially saying their being awarded the tournament was "ludicrous".

At the time, critics described his attendance as "baffling".

Indeed, the same Lineker three years earlier said Fifa's "nauseating" corruption made him "feel sick".

The former footballer's outspoken political views have landed the TV presenter in hot water on a number of occasions.

Asked about the backlash, Mr Lineker hit back during the Radio Times interview.

“What kind of hypocrisy?” he said. “Just because I earn a good salary?

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have the right to speak as any other person would,” he insisted. “That’s just a silly argument.

“It’s absurd for anyone in any walk of life to not be allowed opinions on other matters. It’s freedom of speech.