Gary Lineker drops Match of the Day future trace after ‘pure successor’ axed

Gary Lineker has hinted that he might stay on as the host of Match of the Day, with his “natural successor” Jermaine Jenas being sacked by the BBC last week.

The 63-year-old has been at the helm of the BBC’s flagship sports show for a quarter of a century, but his hefty £1.3million-a-year contract is due to run out at the end of this season.

Although the former England striker hasn’t explicitly said he’ll be stepping down, there’s been plenty of chatter about who might take over.

READ MORE: BBC chiefs ‘spent weeks compiling evidence’ against Jermaine Jenas before firing him

READ MORE: Jermaine Jenas admits ‘even dog is ashamed of me’ as people say ‘give me strength’

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Jenas, 41, was top of the list, but plans have been thrown into disarray after the ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was let go by the Beeb following allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour when a female colleague claimed she’d received unwanted messages from him.

Previously, Lineker had earmarked Jenas as a “natural” fit to take over the reins of the iconic show. However, in a recent chat, Lineker indicated he’s ready to keep going.

Who do you think will replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day? Let us know in the comments section

“Match Of The Day is such an iconic show, 60 years is such a long time and I have presented it for 25 of those years,” he told The Independent. “Podcast-wise, things have really exceeded our expectations but, at the same time, I love being part of Match Of The Day.

“I love working for the BBC. I know it has its issues and it has its troubles but I think it’s brilliant. I think sometimes we don’t shout about how good we are at the BBC,” reports the Mirror.

When questioned about his future on the show during a BBC Breakfast interview earlier this week, Lineker was less forthright. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Depends how long they want me, I suppose. I love doing it at the moment I’ve still got another year left, at least.”

Due to his personal views on the Gaza war and the former Tory government’s stance on asylum seekers, Lineker was temporarily given the boot by the BBC. His candour disgruntled corporate bigwigs, while his colleagues showed solidarity by staging a boycott until his reinstatement.

Jenas, a regular pundit on MOTD who also provided commentary for FA Cup and World Cup matches, made no secret of his desire to succeed Lineker.

His last time on The One Show was on 22 July, while his final Match of the Day appearance was on 4 May. He was also part of the Euro 2024 coverage team for the broadcaster.

Following his dismissal, Jenas apologised to the two women he had texted but maintained that their interaction was consensual.

It’s rumoured that Jenas might carry on with his gig at TNT and bounce back onto the telly for the Manchester United match post-international break.