Editing Gary Lineker (section)

==Early life==
Gary Winston Lineker was born on 30 November 1960 in [[Leicester]], the son of Margaret P. (Abbs) and Barry Lineker.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gary Lineker |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersL/BioLinekerGW.html |work=englandfootballonline.com |date=15 April 2016 |access-date=26 June 2018}}</ref> He was given his middle name in honour of [[Winston Churchill]], with whom he shares a birthday.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lovejoy |first=Joe |title=The big interview: Gary Lineker |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/the-big-interview-gary-lineker-mhhxl325rzj |work=[[The Times]] |date=14 March 2004 |access-date=29 June 2018}}</ref> He has one brother, Wayne, who is two years his junior. Lineker grew up with his family in the city, playing football with Wayne.<ref name="Observer">{{cite news |last=Ferguson |first=Euan |date=8 April 2007 |title=He's still the golden shot |work=[[The Observer]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/apr/08/golf.broadcasting |access-date=15 December 2008}}</ref> Their father was a greengrocer, as were their grandfather William and great-grandfather George,<ref>{{cite web |title=Gary Lineker – Who Do You Think You Are? |url=https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2013/who-do-you-think-you-are/gary-lineker-6/ |publisher=TheGenealogist |access-date=26 June 2014}}</ref> in Leicester. Barry Lineker ran Lineker's fruit and veg stall in [[Leicester Market]], and as a child and a young player Gary regularly helped out on the stall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tributes pour in after Gary Lineker announces his father's death |url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/tributes-pour-after-gary-lineker-391946 |work=[[Leicester Mercury]] |date=29 August 2017 |access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref> Lineker, who is white, received racial abuse as a child for his dark features.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Okundaye |first1=Jason |title=Why Gary Lineker was right to speak out about receiving racist abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jun/23/gary-lineker-receiving-racist-abuse-former-footballer-racism |access-date=23 June 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=23 June 2022}}</ref>

Lineker first attended Caldecote Road School<ref>{{cite web |title=Caldecote Primary |url=http://www.caldecote.leicester.sch.uk |publisher=Caldecote.leicester.sch.uk |access-date=19 January 2013}}</ref> (Caldecote Juniors), [[Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields|Braunstone]] in Leicester (east of the Meridian Centre). He then went to the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School (now [[City of Leicester College]]) on Downing Drive in [[Evington]], owing to his preference for football rather than rugby, which was the main sport of most schools near his home. Lineker was equally talented at both football and [[cricket]]. From the ages of 11 to 16 he captained the Leicestershire Schools cricket team, and had felt that he had a higher chance of succeeding at it rather than football.<ref name="indep">{{cite news |title=Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Gary Lineker |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/passedfailed-an-education-in-the-life-of-gary-lineker-match-of-the-day-presenter-and-former-footballer-1915343.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=4 March 2010}}</ref> He later stated on ''[[They Think It's All Over (TV series)|They Think It's All Over]]'' that as a teenager he idolised former [[England cricket team|England]] captain [[David Gower]], who was playing for [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire]] at the time.<ref>{{cite episode |title=6-02 |episode-link=List of They Think It's All Over episodes#Series 6 |series=They Think It's All Over |series-link=They Think It's All Over (TV series) |season=6 |number=2 |network=[[BBC One|BBC1]] |date=19 November 1998}}</ref> During his youth he played for [[Aylestone Park F.C.|Aylestone Park Youth]], later becoming the club's president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/7934620.stm|title=Grass-roots football gets £11m|publisher=BBC News|date=10 March 2009}}</ref>

Lineker left school with four [[O Level]]s. One of his teachers wrote on his report card that he "concentrates too much on football" and that he would "never make a living at that". He then joined the youth academy at [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] in 1976.<ref name="indep" />