Sky Sports make move to stop Match of the Day replacing Gary Lineker with top target

Gary Lineker is acceptable to permission his relation connected Match of the Day astatine the extremity of the play and Sky Sports prima Kelly Cates is simply a imaginable campaigner to go his successor connected the programme

Sky Sports volition conflict to clasp the services of presenter Kelly Cates should BBC marque an attack to marque her the Match of the Day host.

Cates is 1 of a number of candidates successful the moving to regenerate Gary Lineker, who will depart from the programme astatine the extremity of the 2024/25 season. The 49-year-old broadcaster has worked crossed Sky, BBC, ITV and channel 4 during her vocation and volition beryllium astir recogniseable for starring Premier League sum connected Sky Sports, specified arsenic Friday Night Football.

While Cates, girl of Liverpool fable Kenny Dalglish, could beryllium a tempting option, reports suggest Sky volition combat hard to contradict BBC of her services connected a Saturday evening. The shot anchor has already expressed her contented with her existent equilibrium of enactment but 1 of television's astir prestiguous roles would beryllium hard to sound back.

Speaking to The Independent, she said: "Do you know, and you ne'er privation to accidental this, but astatine the infinitesimal I’ve got a truly beauteous premix of everything. I’ve got TV, unrecorded matches, radio, and erstwhile it gets towards the extremity of the play I bash unrecorded Champions League games too.

"I could beryllium astatine an Olympics oregon a World Cup during the summertime truthful the equilibrium of everything feels truly nice. But I’m not tempting fate."

Lineker meantime is acceptable to bring his stint to an extremity after much than 25 yeas successful Match of the Day's hotseat. With a caller highlights woody opening from adjacent season, and caller ambitions for the flagship programme, helium believes it is simply a fitting clip to depart.

"It has been an implicit joyousness and privilege to contiguous specified an iconic amusement for the BBC, but each things person to travel to an end," helium said connected the Rest is Football podcast.

"It came astatine a constituent wherever truly the BBC and Match Of The Day, they've got the rights for different 3 years, the rhythm starts from adjacent play truthful it felt similar if I conscionable bash 1 much twelvemonth it would beryllium a spot weird.

"I bowed retired successful my shot vocation erstwhile I felt it was the close time. I consciousness this is present the close time. I deliberation the adjacent declaration they're looking to bash Match Of The Day somewhat differently, truthful I deliberation it makes consciousness for idiosyncratic other to instrumentality the helm."

In summation to Cates, the likes of Mark Chapman has been heavy linked to the role. Roman Kemp meantime has been touted for a caller presumption connected the show.

Lineker has steered wide of making a recommendation. "Obviously, I don't cognize who it'll be, and I would ne'er archer publically my preference," helium said. "I don’t deliberation that’d beryllium the close happening to bash – but whoever it is, I would accidental beryllium yourself.

"I had to capable the ginormous shoes of definite Des Lynam. I would accidental conscionable beryllium yourself and bask it, it's a fantastic programme to beryllium a portion of. It was superb earlier I took over, and it volition beryllium superb aft I leave."

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