Gary Lineker knows exactly who should replace him as presenter of Match of the Day. The BBC icon announced on Monday that he'd be stepping down at the end of the 2024/25 season after over a quarter-of-a-century in the role.
Match of the Day 2 frontman Mark Chapman is among the favourites to get the nod, despite Lineker endorsing another candidate recently. During an episode of The Rest Is Football podcast last month, the 63-year-old backed Micah Richards to fill his shoes.
"I'd love to see you take over Micah, I think you'd be brilliant in the chair," Lineker said, before teasing the ex-Manchester City defender by joking: "I told them with your eyesight you'll never be able to read an autocue."
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Richards, 36, has been a regular pundit on Match of the Day since 2021. He's also a staple of Sky Sports' football coverage and CBS Sport's broadcasting of the Champions League, as well as a permanent fixture alongside Lineker and Alan Shearer on The Rest Is Football podcast. But the former England ace has no presenting experience, and is expected to be overlooked in favour of candidates who do.
Chapman, 51, has been the primary host of Match of the Day 2 since 2013, and has stepped in to present the main show on occasion. He also hosts Monday Night Club on the BBC, and fronts the corporation's rugby league coverage.
The likes of Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Jason Mohammad are also reportedly being considered for the role, while previous front-runner Jermaine Jenas has seen his hopes dashed after being jettisoned by the BBC.
Despite quitting Match of the Day, Lineker will stay on at the BBC until 2026. He's set to anchor the company's coverage of the 2025/26 FA Cup before bowing out after the 2026 World Cup.
The former Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona forward replaced Des Lynam as Match of the Day anchorman in 1999, becoming the BBC's highest-paid presenter. He remains top of the Beeb's pay list, with reported earnings of £1.35million per year.
In March 2023, he was briefly suspended from the role after making controversial comments about the UK's government's asylum policy. A few days later he was reinstated after several of his colleagues staged a protest by pulling out of their respective roles in BBC programmes.
