Tongues are wagging today about who might replace Gary Lineker on the BBC’s flagship football show Match of the Day – but who do you want to see in his place?
The footballer-turned-presenter’s departure from the show has now been confirmed following reports last night that he was set to stand down from MotD at the end of the current season.
He will front international football coverage until 2026 before parting ways with the Beeb for good – more than 25 years since replacing Des Lynam in 1999.
The corporation is thought to be looking for fresh blood at a lower cost to replace Lineker, who will turn 64 at the end of the month and is paid around £1.35million a year.
But who do you want to see replace him in the hot seat? Vote in our exclusive poll below – and leave your thoughts in the comments.
BBC News reported that the ex-England forward was not offered a new contract by his bosses when negotiations about a new deal began last month.
Among the frontrunners to replace him are, like Lineker, former footballers who have turned to punditry – and some surprises thrown in for good measure.
Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman leads the race, followed by fellow presenter and BBC veteran Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates, daughter of Scottish football legend Kenny Dalglish.
Speculation is fierce that the BBC will seek to replace Lineker with a woman to balance out MotD’s historically laddish line-up.
Broadcasters Eilidh Barbour, Kelly Somers and Laura Woods are also top picks – as is former Lioness Alex Scott, alongside ex-Manchester City right back Micah Richards.
However, former BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker – who presented Football Focus for 12 years before being replaced by Alex Scott – historian Dan Jones and Manish Bhasin also have good odds, according to Ladbrokes.
Vote in our poll above for your favourite – but if you want to see someone else in the role, why not share your thoughts in the comments?
Lineker, a lightning rod for criticism over impartiality in recent years, will leave the corporation altogether in two years’ time after the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
BBC insiders appear to have quashed claims that he quit, suggesting instead that he had had indicated to bosses that he would consider staying on at Match of the Day after next May.
‘Lineker was open to staying on at Match of the Day, but the BBC did not offer him a new contract for the show’, the corporation’s culture and media editor Katie Razzall has said.
Former Director General Greg Dyke said today that that Lineker’s penchant for giving personal views will have been ‘in the mind’ of the BBC when they decided to go for a new host.
‘In the end, people watch Match Of The Day for the football’, he said.