Gary Lineker reveals a secret feud with Jose Mourinho. He fears that football has taken a toll on him over the years.

 GARY LINEKER has revealed a mysterious secret feud with Jose Mourinho.

The Match of the Day presenter revealed insights into his connection with the ex-Manchester United and Chelsea manager.

Gary Lineker opened up on his relationship with Jose Mourinho Credit:Rex

Lineker revealed the pair had a great relationship before Mourinho turned sour

Lineker is still uncertain about the reason behind their dispute.

On the Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker shared that, during Mourinho's initial days in England, they got along well and exchanged frequent texts. Nevertheless, Lineker revealed their relationship eventually soured, expressing concerns that the challenging nature of the sport might have taken a toll on Mourinho. Recalling the early days, Lineker praised Mourinho's engaging personality and humor, but he believes the relentless nature of the beautiful game has had a negative impact on him over the years. During a documentary collaboration, Mourinho regularly texted Lineker, appreciating the understanding of football displayed on Match of the Day.

We had been proceeding in that manner for a couple of years, and then a shift occurred. The identity of that "something" continues to elude the former Barcelona, Tottenham, and Leicester star even now.

What is definite is that the apparently unilateral feud commenced when Mourinho informed organizers at an awards ceremony that he preferred not to receive an award from Lineker.

The 63-year-old clarified, "I was requested to bestow upon him the Man of the Year accolade at the annual GQ Awards."

"They requested me to award the trophy, and I agreed, saying 'Certainly, I'll handle that task for Jose, without a doubt.'

"However, around four days prior to the occasion, they contacted me, informing, 'Jose has reached out, and he prefers someone outside of football to present the trophy.'

"I found it peculiar but decided to attend the event nonetheless. When I approached Jose, he somewhat ignored me."

"I questioned, 'Are we fine, are we fine Jose?' He responded with 'Yes, yes, yes.' However, he wasn't fine, and he hasn't been fine ever since.

"To this day, I remain uncertain whether it was something I mentioned on Match of the Day; I truly have no clue. In a subsequent interview, he exhibited a distant attitude."

This frosty reception became more evident when Mourinho texted former Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward, inquiring why he was conversing with Lineker after a Champions League match.

Roma is currently under the management of Jose Mourinho.

Lineker stated, "I recall covering a Champions League match where their performance wasn't impressive."

"I approached the executive area at Manchester United and had a drink with Ed Woodward, who is a neighbor of mine, so we're acquainted.

"While I was standing there with a drink, Jose approached, but then he simply walked away. Later, he texted Ed Woodward, questioning why he was conversing with me.

"To this day, I remain unaware of what I might have done. This incident occurred quite a while ago, and the details elude me."

"After departing from Manchester United, Mourinho has managed teams at Tottenham and Roma, displaying a resurgence of his characteristic fiery temperament in Italy."

The Portuguese received a red card alongside three teammates in Wednesday's intense Rome derby in the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Lazio, where Mourinho's team suffered a 1-0 defeat. This marked his second ejection in a span of four days.