Gary Lineker’s 25-year spell as Match Of The Day (MOTD) host marks the top of an period.
Whereas followers will probably be unhappy to see the again of the previous England striker when he steps down on the finish of this season, hypothesis on who his successor will probably be has already taken the web by storm.
It will not be recognized who will take the reins till the BBC formally broadcasts it, however this is a have a look at a number of the names which can be within the hat.
Mark Chapman
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Pic: PA
Veteran sports activities presenter Chapman is unsurprisingly the bookies’ favorite, as he has hosted sister programme Match Of The Day 2 for greater than a decade.
He is a well-recognized face with the followers and has extra expertise than most, having additionally crammed in for Lineker on the primary present often when he is been unavailable.
After all, completely transferring Chapman over to the Saturday present means somebody will possible have to take his place on MOTD 2 on Sundays.
Alex Scott
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Pic: PA
Former Arsenal defender Alex Scott has led the road for feminine soccer pundits since she retired from the sport in 2017.
Her breakthrough yr of 2018 noticed her change into the primary feminine pundit to be taken to a males’s World Cup by the BBC, earlier than turning into Sky Sports activities’ first lady soccer pundit later that yr.
Since then she has change into one other stand-in presenter on MOTD when Lineker cannot make it.
Gabby Logan
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Pic: PA
Veteran presenter Gabby Logan, who has change into some of the acquainted faces on UK tv, has additionally crammed in for Lineker every now and then.
The previous gymnast has an MBE for providers to sports activities broadcast and selling ladies in sport, having introduced on the Olympic Video games, Commonwealth Video games, Invictus Video games, the FIFA World Cup, Euros and the Six Nations for the BBC since 2007.
She can also be an everyday anchor for Amazon Prime Video’s sport fixtures, and has began internet hosting a number of the reside video games proven on the platform in latest seasons.
Alan Shearer
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Pic: PA
The previous Newcastle striker took over from Lineker as England’s high ahead when he retired within the ’90s – might historical past repeat itself with one in all TV’s high jobs?
Shearer may not be a presenter, however he has extra expertise than virtually anybody with regards to MOTD, having sat beside Lineker as an analyst recurrently for years.
If the BBC is seeking to maintain issues acquainted for its viewers after Lineker’s departure, having somebody who options beside him on not solely MOTD, however on the MOTD podcast and Lineker’s personal The Relaxation Is Soccer podcast may be a protected guess.
Micah Richards
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Pic: PA
The bubbly ex-Manchester Metropolis and Aston Villa defender has additionally been one in all MOTD’s mainstays in recent times alongside Lineker and Shearer, so he’d solely have to modify chairs for the presenter function.
The 36-year-old has himself admitted his injury-plagued soccer profession did not hit the heights of Lineker and Shearer’s, however his punditry profession has blossomed since his retirement in 2019.
He has shaped a formidable trio with the previous England internationals on each MOTD and The Relaxation Is Soccer podcast, and has constructed an analogous rapport with soccer stars Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher on US community CBS Sports activities.
Lineker beforehand referenced the percentages of Richards taking up MOTD, telling him on The Relaxation Is Soccer podcast: “Four to one? Blimey. I’d love to see you take over. I think you’d be brilliant in the chair.”
Kate Abdo
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Pic: PA
British sports activities broadcaster Kate Abdo has taken her profession to new heights since turning into a number on US community CBS Sports activities, the place she usually covers Champions League soccer with Micah Richards, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher.
Her shared banter with the three ex-footballers and spectacular presenting abilities have helped the community’s protection surge in reputation, notably on social media, the place their interactions usually go viral.
It will maybe be a trickier deal if the BBC needed to go in Abdo’s path, as she reportedly signed a four-year take care of CBS final yr.
Jason Mohammad
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Pic: PA
Mohammad, who at present hosts the BBC’s Closing Rating present on Saturday afternoons, has additionally deputised for Lineker and Chapman on the MOTD programmes since he began working for the corporate in 1997.
The Welsh TV and radio presenter, who has been among the many BBC’s highest earners, is up there with the bookies’ favourites for the job.
Kelly Somers
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Kelly Somers interviews England worldwide James Maddison. Pic: PA
Somers, who turned simply the sixth lady to current MOTD in 2020, has labored with the BBC, Talksport, the Premier League and Prime Video, to call just some.
She turned a frequent face for soccer followers whereas overlaying of England males’s matches on the 2020 Euros and the World Cup in 2022, and has continued fronting Channel 4’s protection of the nationwide crew over the past two years.
Dion Dublin
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Pic: PA
One other BBC Sport common, former Aston Villa and Manchester United ahead Dublin is up there on bookies’ lists.
He has recurrently appeared on MOTD, together with different BBC exhibits like Soccer Focus and Closing Rating, however he is additionally branched out of the footballing world to host property daytime present Houses Underneath the Hammer.
Gary Neville
Manchester United nice Neville has change into a punditry powerhouse on Sky Sports activities since his retirement in 2011.
Lineker himself has sung Neville’s praises, saying in 2013 he wished he might have had him on MOTD. His level, nonetheless, was that Neville was capable of present his now signature prolonged, in-depth evaluation on much less dense programmes, whereas MOTD must be concise as a result of what number of video games it tends to cowl in a brief runtime.
However the former England right-back has been a outstanding backer of the Labour Celebration and made political remarks whereas internet hosting ITV’s protection of the World Cup remaining in 2022, one thing which can delay the BBC given friction over Lineker’s political opinions up to now.
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March 2023: ‘Hopefully BBC transferring past Lineker row’
Lineker was briefly faraway from MOTD in March final yr following controversy over feedback he made on social media criticising the then Conservative authorities’s asylum insurance policies.
Laura Woods
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Woods has change into the face of TNT Sports activities’ Champions League soccer protection because it rebranded from BT Sport final yr, when she took over from Jake Humphrey as lead presenter.
It was a pure development for the previous Talksport radio host, who was already turning into one in all soccer’s hottest hosts on TV earlier than touchdown the large function. May she swoop in for one more large gig now that Lineker’s stepping again?
Jake Humphrey
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Outstanding host Humphrey stepped again from tv of his personal accord final yr to give attention to his Excessive Efficiency podcast, during which he interviews high performers in sport, leisure, enterprise and well being and wellness.
He has a plethora of TV expertise not solely from his time main the road on TNT Sports activities, but additionally from presenting Method 1, Soccer Focus, Closing Rating on BBC Sport.
He has already made historical past on MOTD, beforehand turning into its youngest ever host when he crammed in for Lineker.
