Would Match of the Day survive without its leading man, Gary Lineker? For 25 years, the Saturday night football programme has been synonymous with its charismatic host – a former Spurs and Leicester hero whose punditry has become a staple on the BBC.

But whispers surfaced earlier this month pointing towards a potential exit for Lineker as his contract comes to a close at the same time as the 2024/25 Premier League season. The rumour mill kicked into overdrive following a reported email leak, detailing an exit plan for Lineker that found its way to the public eye earlier this month.

However, the BBC quickly stepped in to quash the fears, sharing in a statement: “We have nothing to announce, and we have not agreed on the next steps regarding his contract. He is on contract until the end of the season.”

One can’t help but muse over the future of Match of the Day should Lineker opt to step down next year, potentially taking co-host Alan Shearer with him. Who might the BBC draft in to helm the revered show in such event? Here, The Express takes a look at a nightmare scenario for the BBC…

Lineker leaves

A possible exodus of Lineker from the BBC

 could leave fans grappling with a markedly different Match of the Day. The BBC‘s top earner with a staggering £1.35million salary for his 2023/24 duties, Lineker is reportedly prepared to accept a pay reduction to continue his long-standing relationship with the broadcaster.

An insider revealed to The Sun: “Gary is hugely popular with both fans and players alike. The sense is that, with so much uncertainty and scandal at the BBC

 right now, viewers are crying out for a safe pair of hands. Gary has long maintained that the BBC provides excellent value for money – and has quite literally put his money where his mouth is and offered to take a substantial pay cut.”

Meanwhile, on his podcast, The Rest Is Football, Lineker shared some personal insights to the recent whirlwind of speculation, saying: “It’s been a strange few days. As you know, like Trent [Alexander-Arnold], like Virgil [van Dijk], like Mo [Salah], I am coming to the end of my contract in the summer.

“It’s natural at some point that you have to have conversations, and they’ve just started. I don’t know why it all spiralled out of control, but all is okay.” Lineker, who is due to enter contract negotiations with the BBC this month, has a net worth believed to be around £30million.

Should he fail to strike a deal, he could easily retire or find work elsewhere thanks to his successful football and punditry career, as well as lucrative brand deals with companies like Walkers. At 63, the pundit still has plenty of years left in him, and if he chooses to leave, the BBC would face the challenge of finding a suitable replacement.

Several names have been mentioned in recent speculations, including Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman, ex-England and Arsenal defender Alex Scott, Gabby Logan, Jason Mohammad, Kelly Sommers, and even Theo Walcott.

Shearer also sets sail

However, replacing Lineker might not be the only challenge should he decide to depart. The BBC could also face the task of replacing Shearer on Match of the Day. The pair have built a successful punditry career together over the years, their on-screen chemistry undoubtedly a result of their long-standing friendship.

Should Lineker make an exit from the show, it begs the question: What’s to stop Shearer from following suit? The Newcastle United icon has previously demonstrated unity with his friend and fellow presenter. Notably, Lineker faced suspension after making social media remarks that drew parallels between the language used in the Tory Government’s migration policy and that of Nazi Germany last March – a move the BBC claimed was a breach of its impartiality rules.

 

Though Lineker’s suspension was brief, the ramifications rocked the BBC to its core. Match of the Day was slashed to a mere 20-minute programme devoid of commentary or in-studio punditry. It saw also Shearer, alongside Ian Wright and a whole host of other presenters, take a stand in “solidarity”, refusing to feature without their leading man.

In the event that both Lineker and Shearer jump ship, the BBC might find itself in a mad scramble for substitutes – raising questions whether any fresh pairing could ever truly replicate the duo’s revered blend of football savvy, critical insight, charm, and rapier-sharp humour.