MailOnline readers have given their verdict on who they want to replace Gary Lineker on the BBC’s flagship football show Match of the Day – and there is a clear frontrunner.
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 in terms of who fans want to see in the hot seat next, there has been an overwhelming favourite in our exclusive poll below.
Head and shoulders above any other candidate is Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman, followed by fellow presenter and BBC veteran Gabby Logan.
In third sits former BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker – who presented Football Focus for 12 years before being replaced by Alex Scott.
Next in the pecking order is Micah Richards, who has received more votes than former Lioness Alex Scott.
Following them is Laura Woods who is narrowly above fellow broadcasters Kelly Somers and Eilidh Barbour.
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.
Sky Sports’ David Jones and Manish Bhasin also have good odds, according to Ladbrokes.
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.
