Gary Lineker dreamed of 'little white coffin' after son's cancer diagnosis

Tearful Gary Lineker has recalled how he used to dream of a “little white coffin” during a horrible time when he feared his young son would die from leukaemia. In a new in-depth interview with the , the TV presenter and England goalscorer got emotional and choked up as he admitted it was one of the hardest times of his life, but also changed him as a person for the better.

His son George, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia as a baby. He was initially given a low chance of survival, but he would go on to beat the disease and make a full recovery.

Looking back on the time at the end of 1991, Gary asked doctors to look at baby George when they saw a little bump on his forehead.

Gary said: “I’ll never forget this. They put him on a little bed, they took his nappy off, and they felt under his arms, and they felt his groins, and they looked at each other, and they turned to us, and they went, ‘I'm sorry, but I think this is something much more serious’.

READ MORE:

“Two or three times we're told he might not make it through the night. I And it was, it was incredibly dark. I mean, it was frightening. I used to have dreams about him, like being in a little white coffin. I don't know why. It's horrible. I’m getting upset now.

“You had to have, I think, four or five courses of chemotherapy, and then gaps in the middle, we were in hospital for about seven months in total.”

He went on to say the experience changed him. He explained: “I was always quite cold when I was young, I'm driven, and I, had these purpose and goals and stuff like that.

“I I think looking back at me then I think I was kind of encapsulated in just my sport and getting better at what I do and being ambitious.

“Whereas I think children change you anyway, but an experience like that, I mean, it's easy to say, well, it gives you a bit more perspective. Well, of course it does, butI think it changed me. I think it changed me towards being more empathetic generally.”

Lineker was giving the interview as he prepares to leave Match of the Day after 26 years.

He was quizzed by the BBC's Amol Rajan why he would choose to leave given his successful tenure, and Lineker said: "Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that.”

The BBC has yet to respond to this comment.

The presenter and the BBC jointly announced in November that he would be stepping down from the flagship football programme, although he will still host World Cup and coverage.

A new trio of presenters - Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan - will front the new look Match of The Day next season.

ENDS