Former England footballer Gary Lineker is pulling out of presenting his BBC show after his criticism of his country’s immigration policy sparked a row between the government and the BBC’s highest-paid presenter.

Lineker compared the government’s rhetoric towards asylum seekers to that of Germany in the 1930s.

The BBC said it had held discussions with Linegar and his team over the past few days and that he had decided to stay away from presenting its flagship sports program, Match of the Day, “until we can agree a clear position on his use of social media”.

Lineker, 62, has presented BBC Football’s flagship football program for more than 20 years and has never shied away from expressing his views on political issues.

The BBC said it considered Linker’s recent social media activity to be in breach of its guidelines.

Linker, who has previously sheltered refugees in her home, shared a video clip of British Home Secretary Zoila Braverman talking about a proposed law, writing, “Oh my god, this is horrible.”

Responding to a comment, he said: There is no mass (refugee) arrival. We host far fewer refugees than any other major European country. This is a very harsh policy directed against the people most vulnerable to danger, and not very different from the tone used by Germany in the thirties of the last century.

And in solidarity with Lineker, former England player Ian Wright announced he had told the BBC he would not be appearing on Saturday’s show.

He wrote on Twitter: “Everyone knows what this project means to me, but I have informed the BBC that I will not be appearing on Saturday. As a form of solidarity.