Gary Lineker’s Match of the Day host substitute ‘revealed’ as Sky Sports star
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The new host of Match of the Day, who will replace Gary Lineker in the role, has been “revealed”.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Lineker would be leaving the football highlights show, leaving viewers to speculate who would succeed him as the face of the series.
According to reports, Kelly Cates will leave Sky Sports to join the BBC series, and will front a new line-up that will see Mark Chapman promoted from Sunday’s Match of the Day 2 and will also include Gabby Logan.
It’s been suggested that Cates, the daughter of former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish, will share rotating hosting responsibilities with Chapman and Logan on both Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2.
The BBC said it does not “comment on speculation”, with Sky Sports stating there was “nothing to add” to reports Cates – who currently also presents on BBC Radio 5 Live – will leave the channel.
However, The Daily Mail claimed that Sky Sports bosses were “saddened” Cates was leaving.
Cates has been part of the channel since it launched Sky Sports News in 1998, but left in 2006. She returned to Sky in 2016 to front their Football League coverage before switching to the Premier League.
She has also presented sports coverage for ESPN, ITV, Channel 5, Setanta and Channel 4.
Lineker, who previously said the BBC was looking to make the series a little “different” with his departure, will step down at the end of the current football season.
The host, 63, will then leave the corporation completely at the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Ex-BBC director general Greg Dyke told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Lineker was “the outstanding sports presenter of his time”, adding that “life moves on, presenters don’t stay forever” but that Lineker will be a “big loss.”
Former England striker Lineker began presenting the show in 1999 replacing Des Lynam on the long-running BBC show, after it was reported that he wasn’t offered a new contract.
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He has regularly topped lists for the highest-earning individuals on the BBC but has found himself at odds with the institution in recent years due to his political views.
In March 2023, Lineker was suspended from Match of the Day after sharing criticism for the then-Conservative government’s immigration policy which prompted a boycott from his fellow presenters as well as pundits and commentators. This resulted in an edition of the show which was just 20 minutes long and featured brief highlights of each Premier League game from that day, with no commentary.
