Gary Lineker is currently gearing up for what will be an emotional Match of the Day farewell.
The BBC confirmed in November that the former England striker will be leaving the their flagship football show at the end of the current season, more than 25 years after he was given the job of presenting the show following the exit of Des Lynam.
Lineker – who FourFourTwo ranked at no.10 in our list of the greatest England players of all time – will host the BBC’s FA Cup coverage next season, plus the 2026 World Cup before bowing out.
Lineker on the pundit he will miss the most
Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and worked with countless pundits during his tenure, from former team-mates and rivals to modern-day international stars.
And while he will continue to work with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards on his podcaste ‘The Rest Is Football’ , FourFourTwo wanted to know which pundit he will miss working with the most.
“There’s no point saying Alan or Micah, as I’ll still be working with them,” he tells us. “I don’t like any of the others!
“That’s a joke… I’ll miss Danny Murphy, a really underrated pundit, analytically good, and always fun to be around.”
Former England, Liverpool and Fulham midfielder Murphy first appeared as a pundit on Match of the Day in August 2013, shortly before he announced his retirement as a player which saw him turn out more than 750 times for seven clubs across 19 years, plus a further nine England caps.
The 48-year-old is now a regular in the Match of the Day studio, appearing more than 170 times on the programme, with his tally quickly approaching Liverpool legend and MOTD icon Alan Hansen, who made 192 appearances.
The BBC confirmed in January that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will split presenting duties on Match of the Day from next season, as the programme gets ready for its biggest shake-up in a generation.
As well as fronting next season’s FA Cup coverage and the 2026 World Cup, Lineker will also see his successful The Rest is Football podcast be hosted on BBC Sounds.
