But regardless of who ends up getting the gig, Lineker has told his future replacement the one thing they must do to ensure the show’s continued success.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, he said: “Obviously I don’t know who it’ll be and I would never tell publicly my preference – I don’t think that’d be the right thing to do, but whoever it is, I would say be yourself.
“I had to fill the ginormous shoes of a certain Des Lynam. I was the only person in the country who was pleased that he left for ITV because I thought I might get the job!
“So I would say, be yourself and enjoy it, it’s a wonderful program to be part of. And it was brilliant before I took over and it will be brilliant after I leave.”
Lineker might’ve been a much-loved staple of Saturday night television for the last two decades and a half, but the BBC star was quick to reveal the one thing he’s looking forward to after hanging up his microphone.
When asked if he’ll still tune in to watch the Saturday night highlights show, he added: “I’ll still watch Match of the Day, but I’ll be in bed straight after it rather than the three-hour journey home!”
Despite stepping down as Match of the Day presenter in the summer of 2025, Lineker won’t officially finish his duties with the BBC until one year later.
Lineker is still expected to anchor the BBC’s FA Cup coverage during the 2025/26 campaign, before finally calling time on his glistening broadcast career following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
The 63-year-old had been the corporation’s highest earner, of those who declared their salaries, with Lineker pocketing a whopping £1.3million per year.
