Gary Lineker hits back at Daily Mail after tabloid publishes article about his tax affairs

'I have always paid my taxes on time and in full. The Daily Mail continues its vendetta against me because they don't agree with my views,' says football pundit

Lineker also shared an article about the Daily Mail being banned as an “unreliable” source by Wikipedia (John Phillips/Getty Images)

Gary Lineker has hit back at the Daily Mail after the paper published an article about his tax affairs.

The former England striker and sports broadcaster insisted he paid his taxes punctually and in full.

Lineker, who often speaks out about the refugee crisis, suggested the publication had a “vendetta” against him because they do not agree with his political opinions. The first dozen paragraphs of the article took aim at the football pundit's views on current affairs.

“I have always paid my taxes on time and in full. The Daily Mail continues its vendetta against me because they don't agree with my views,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I will continue to speak up for refugees and immigrants and British values of tolerance and free speech. I won't be bullied by them”.

Lineker also shared an article about the Daily Mail being banned as an “unreliable” source by Wikipedia. The editors of Wikipedia have voted to remove the daily paper as a source for the website in all but the most exceptional circumstances after judging the news corporation “generally unreliable”.

The football pundit received an onslaught of criticism for standing up for child refugees who come to the UK from the “Jungle” camp in Calais last October.

After Lineker suggested the attitudes of some towards young refugees fleeing war-torn countries was “hideously racist” and “utterly heartless”, he was subject to a torrent of criticism on Twitter, with some engaging in racist and xenophobic rhetoric to rebuke the footballer’s viewers.

His outspoken remarks about the refugee crisis led to Ukip spokesman, Patrick O'Flynn, calling for him to be sacked from Match of the Day. They also prompted a scathing front page article in The Sun declaring: “OUT ON HIS EARS! Leftie luvvie Gary Lineker ‘should be sacked’ for peddling charity lie about ‘child migrant, 38’.”

The piece claimed Lineker was accused of breaching BBC impartially guidelines, which state presenters’ “external activities” are not allowed to affect the public perception of the news outlet's impartiality. But at the time a spokesperson for the BBC said: “Gary is a freelance broadcaster and this is a personal Twitter account.”

A representative for the Daily Mail did not immediately respond to request for comment.