Gary Lineker shared a rare snap with his four lookalike sons on Monday as they enjoyed a family Sunday dinner.
The former footballer, 59, took to Instagram to post the photo which saw him pose with children George, 28, Harry, 26, Tobias, 24 and Angus, 22.
Gary captioned the snap with: ‘The boys.’ while his eldest son George also shared the same image to his own Instagram, which he captioned: ‘Sundays with the elites.’
‘The boys’: Gary Lineker shared a rare snap with his four lookalike sons George, 28, Tobias, 24, Harry, 26, and Angus, 22 (L-R) on Monday as they enjoyed a family Sunday dinner
Fans couldn’t get over the snap with several people joking they should become a five-a-side football team and others commenting on their similarities.
One person said: ‘I’m guessing this is an unreal 5aside team?’
A different user put: ‘Football on 5 (a).’
Another follower commented: ‘Spitting image of you @garylineker.’
Fun: Gary captioned the snap with: ‘The boys.’ while his eldest son George also shared the same image to his own Instagram, which he captioned: ‘Sundays with the elites.’
Father and sons: The former footballer, 59, rarely shares snaps with his four children Harry, Tobias, George and Angus (L-R) (pictured together in 2018)
While a different account added: ‘Peas in a pod. Lovely photo.’
Gary shares his four sons with ex-wife Michelle Cockayne, they were married in 1986 until 2006.
In April 2019, the former footballer reflected on the heartbreaking moment he was told eldest son George might only have hours to live after he was struck down with a rare form of leukaemia as a baby.
George, now 28, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia as a baby after Gary, then in his early thirties, and ex-wife Michelle noticed a lump on their young son’s head.
‘Five-a-side’: Fans couldn’t get over the snap with several people joking they should become a five-a-side football team and others commenting on their similarities
The youngster was treated at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, and former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Gary, admitted that they were given the sobering news that his chances of survival were minimal.
‘I could cope with it while he was ill,’ he told the BLANK podcast. ‘I could cope with it while I felt there was hope. There were a couple of times where we were told he might not make it through the night.
‘But again that was a different feeling, it wasn’t a depressing feeling, it was more of a fear, and I used to have these awful dreams occasionally of carrying him in a little white coffin.’
Despite the devastating diagnosis, Gary said he refused to give up hope that his son, the eldest of four children with Michelle, might overcome the condition.
Ex: Gary shares his four sons with ex-wife Michelle Cockayne, they were married in 1986 until 2006 (Michelle pictured with their four sons in 2016)
‘While he was still alive, while he was being treated, while there was still hope I was alright,’ he explained. ‘But I always looked, there were other people in there that weren’t as fortunate as us, whose kids didn’t make it.
‘Because we were in there about seven months solid and there are kids that didn’t make it in that time and you’re in that environment when they don’t, and that was always my fear.
‘I do not know whether I would have been able to cope with that. I don’t know how any parent can cope with that.
Concern: In April 2019, the former footballer reflected on the heartbreaking moment he was told eldest son George might only have hours to live after he was struck down with a rare form of leukaemia as a baby (pictured with Michelle and George when he was a toddler)
‘But whilst it was always, there were up and downs and difficult times, but there was always hope.’
He added: ‘We didn’t lose him so I don’t feel we were dreadfully unfortunate. I think we’re unbelievably fortunate because the odds of him not making it were very low. ‘
Gary has since supported children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent and Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign in a bid to raise awareness and much need funds.