Gary Lineker’s contract as host of the BBC’s flagship football show Match of the Day is due to expire at the end of the season and Mark Lawrenson has weighed in on his future
Former BBC Match of the Day pundit Mark Lawrenson has admitted he would not be surprised if long-time host Gary Lineker left the show at the end of the season.
Lineker has hosted Match of the Day for 25 years, taking over the role from Des Lynam in 1999 after he jumped to ITV. However, there has been much speculation over Lineker’s future, with his BBC contract due to expire next year.
And Lawrenson, who worked alongside Lineker on Match of the Day until he left the BBC in 2022, believes it will be up to the former England striker to decide when the time is right for him to step away.
Lawrenson also identified Mark Chapman, who has presented Match of the Day 2 for over a decade, as the perfect replacement for Lineker. “I still tune in regularly,” Lawrenson said in an interview with the Metro on behalf of Free Bets.
“It is still a very good programme, full stop. I know there is a lot of speculation over Gary at the moment. Would it surprise me if he left at the end of the season? Possibly no. But he has earned the right to make his own decision, there is no doubt there whatever.
“And in Chappers, there is a ready-made replacement if it goes that way. It will be up to Gary. Replacing Gary, it’s a big role for whoever takes it. Before him, Des and Jimmy Hill did it for years and were wonderful but at the end of it all, your time comes.
“But the good thing for Gary is, I think he will decide. I don’t think the BBC will decide. He will decide if he wants to go. He has earned the right to do so. He’s earned the right to leave.
“He’s in his 60s now, I’m not sure what else he has going on that could possibly be a substitute for Match Of The Day because when you first leave it feels like someone has chopped your arm off. But he can do whatever he wants.”
Lineker did confirm earlier this month that he is in talks with the BBC over his future, stating on his The Rest Is Football podcast: “I’m coming to the end of my contract in the summer. So it’s natural at some point that you have to have conversations, and they’ve just started.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Learn more