Next Match Of The Day presenter odds: Alex Scott favourite to replace Gary Lineker

Alex Scott is a best-priced 2-1 to become the new main presenter of Match of the Day after the BBC confirmed on Tuesday that host Gary Lineker will be stepping down at the end of the season.

Former England striker and 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner Lineker has anchored the BBC’s flagship football programme for 25 years and will be staying on for another campaign to lead the corporation’s coverage of the 2025-26 FA Cup before leaving at the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman was quickly installed as favourite to be Lineker’s successor, but the seasoned sports radio and TV host had drifted from an opening 7-4 to 3-1 by Tuesday evening.

While Chapman’s odds eased, Scott’s contracted throughout the day after bookmakers reported strong support for the former Lionesses defender.

A 6-1 chance in the morning, Scott, who has regularly stood in for Lineker on the show and has presented Football Focus, the BBC’s Saturday magazine show, since 2021, was supported into 2-1 favouritism.

Another regular MOTD stand-in Gabby Logan is 8-1 while Kelly Cates, who regularly hosts Sky’s Saturday Night Football and Super Sunday is a best-priced 10-1. 

Kelly Somers, who has presented Premier League coverage on Amazon Prime, is 12-1 while Eilidh Barbour, who has stood in for Chapman on the Sunday show and presented golf for the BBC since 2018, is a 16-1 chance, the same price as Manish Bhasin and Colin Murray.

Alex Scott is among the favourites to become the new presenter of Match of the DayCredit: Jess Hornby

Next Match Of The Day presenter odds

The rumour mill is turning following the news that Gary Lineker is quitting MOTD. Here are the favourites to replace him:

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Next Match Of The Day presenter candidates

Mark Chapman

Mark Chapman has been a mainstay of the BBC Sport coverage over the last 20 years and is the regular presenter of Match Of The Day 2, the Sunday episode of the BBC's celebrated football highlights show. 

He is the corporation's lead rugby league presenter and is also a familiar voice to listeners of Radio 5 Live, where he has led shows on both Saturday afternoons and Monday nights.

Alex Scott

The former England international played 140 times for the Lionesses and embarked on a broadcasting career following her retirement from football in 2017. 

She has stood in for Gary Lineker on Match Of The Day before and became the lead presenter of Football Focus in 2021. She is also regularly seen on the sofa of the early-evening magazine programme, The One Show.

Kelly Cates

The daughter of legendary Liverpool forward Sir Kenny Dalglish, Kelly Cates has been a familiar face on British sports TV for the last 20 years. 

She has worked extensively for Radio 5 Live and is one of the main presenters for Sky Sports' Premier League football coverage on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

Gabby Logan

Another daughter of a famous footballer – her father Terry Yorath played for Leeds, Tottenham and Wales – Gabby Logan first worked in national TV when she joined Sky Sports in 1996. 

She hosted ITV's Saturday lunchtime show On The Ball and Champions League matches before leaving in 2006 to join the BBC, where she has become the face of Six Nations rugby union coverage, athletics, including the London Marathon, and this summer's Olympic Games in Paris. 

Kelly Somers

Kelly Somers is regularly seen presenting and reporting on the BBC and has stood in to lead Match Of The Day on occasion. She has also been the England camp reporter at the Three Lions' last three major tournaments.

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