Behind the Shot: Photographing Gary Lineker for an exclusive with The New World
In early July, I was asked if I’d be available to photograph an upcoming interview. I said yes — without knowing who the subject would be.
A few days before the shoot, I was finally told: Gary Lineker. It would be his first interview since leaving the BBC. I immediately knew this was going to be a significant one.
After a warm introduction to Gary — and his dog, Filbert — Matt Kelly, editor-in-chief and founder of The New World (formerly The New European) arrived to conduct the interview. As Gary and Matt settled in, I got to work.
One of the key challenges in photographing people is noticing when something isn’t quite right — and doing something about it. I quickly realised that, for the best aesthetics, Gary and Matt were sitting the wrong way round. Gary had taken the seat with his back to the window, and before I could suggest swapping, they had already begun.
I waited for a natural pause in the conversation, then apologised and asked if they could switch places. With Gary now facing the better light and backdrop, we were up and running.
Photographing someone during a long-form interview brings its own challenges. On one hand, you get a great variety of expressions and body language as the conversation unfolds — real emotion, natural reactions. On the other, you’re constantly navigating around hands mid-gesture or awkward mid-syllable moments. These weren’t event or talk shots; the brief was to capture standalone images — intimate, strong profile portraits alongside contextual, in-conversation moments.
For the best part of 90 minutes, I crouched quietly to the side (often with Filbert keeping me company), documenting the exchange. After the interview wrapped, Gary kindly agreed to a quick portrait session. We used the large abstract wooden painting that hangs in his kitchen — a familiar backdrop for those who’ve seen other shoots of him. Bold, textured, subtly iconic.
In the days that followed, I kept the shoot under wraps, as requested. I knew the piece was set to be a major feature — potentially even a cover story — though The New World often opts for illustrations or conceptual designs. I assumed the photos would appear somewhere near the front.
Then I saw it: a draft of the cover with my portrait of Gary front and centre. I was taken aback — and proud. And, in true photographer fashion, immediately hyper-aware of every tiny flaw I could find in the shot.Knowing how quickly things can change, I didn’t let myself get too excited — not until I saw the final, published cover. Then a text from Matt came through:“Congrats on your first national magazine cover!”
It was official.
