Presenters Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman are to replace Gary Lineker as host of Match of the Day, when he leaves the role at the end of the current English football season.
This announcement ends months of speculation about who would take over as presenter of the popular flagship football show, with Lineker confirming that he was to step down at the end of the season, having presented MOTD for more than a quarter of a century.
Lineker first presented the show in 1999, after succeeding Des Lynam.
"It has been an absolute joy and privilege to present such an iconic show for the BBC, but all things have to come to an end", Lineker had previously said. Find out more here.
From next season onwards, Match of the Day will be shared between the three presenters for the first time, which will see Logan, Cates and Chapman split the duties on Saturday's main show, Match of the Day 2 on Sundays, as well as the new addition to the football highlights schedule, Match of the Day: Champions League on Wednesdays.
Kelly Cates has presented Sky Sports since re-joining them in 2016, being a main anchor for English Premier League coverage.
Cates who will combine her role with Sky Sports, said: "Once I sit in that chair and the theme music starts, I just know that’s going to be a really incredible moment. I’ve worked with a lot of the pundits before and they’re all fantastic, so I’m just looking forward to getting started".
"I’ve known Gabby and Mark really well for years so to bring it all together, embracing the digital side of things, it feels like a really comprehensive football package for fans and that’s what makes it so exciting too", she added.
Former gymnast Gabby Logan, who has often deputised for Gary Lineker Match of the Day presenter on several occasions, has also fronted BBC's coverage of the Women's Euros in 2023.
"It’s always a real moment (sitting in the chair) because it has such history. It’s still so relevant to so many people now and talked about in a landscape where TV’s changed so much", she said.
"There's an enormous responsibility to make sure we continue to evolve while at the same time respecting the traditions of Match of the Day. People want to see the goals, they want to see the incidents, they want to see the moments everyone’s talking about, so while we can tinker at the edges, the core is the football".
Mark Chapman has worked as a broadcaster for more than 25 years, and also presents Match of the Day 2.
On sharing the roles with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman said: "This isn’t about the three of us, it’s about the three of us plus our pundits, plus our editors, plus our analysts and stats people and production people, radio and online".
He also added: "Genuinely this is about all of us as a department working together".
