Gary Lineker has indicated he is willing to stay on as host of Match of the Day after his 'natural successor' Jermaine Jenas was sacked by the BBC last week.
Lineker, 63, has presented the BBC's flagship sports show for a quarter of a century but his lucrative £1.3million-a-year contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
It is currently unclear whether he will commit to a renewal and speculation over his potential replacements has been rife - with Jenas at the front of the queue.
But former Tottenham midfielder Jenas, 41, was dismissed by the BBC over allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour after a female colleague complained she had received unsolicited messages from the pundit.
Lineker had previously labelled Jenas as a 'natural' fit to succeed him in the Match of the Day hotseat but in a recent interview, he expressed a willingness to continue.
Gary Lineker has indicated he is willing to stay on as host of Match of the Day
Lineker, 63, has presented the BBC's flagship sports show for a quarter of a century
'Match Of The Day is such an iconic show, 60 years is such a long time and I have presented it for 25 of those years,' he told The Independent.
'Podcast-wise, things have really exceeded our expectations but, at the same time, I love being part of Match Of The Day. I love working for the BBC. I know it has its issues and it has its troubles but I think it's brilliant.
'I think sometimes we don't shout about how good we are at the BBC.'
Asked earlier this week how long he expects to stay at the helm of the show, Lineker told BBC Breakfast: 'I don't know. Depends how long they want me, I suppose. I love doing it at the moment – I've still got another year left, at least.'
Lineker has featured on several podcasts produced by the BBC but angered bosses at the corporation after expressing his personal opinions on the war in Gaza and the former Conservative government's language around asylum seekers.
He was suspended in March 2023, leading colleagues to boycott the programme.
Jenas worked as a pundit on Match of the Day and also guested on FA Cup and World Cup coverage - and made no secret of his desire to one day replace Lineker.
His last BBC appearance came on The One Show on July 22 while his final Match of the Day showing was on May 4. He was part of the BBC's Euro 2024 coverage.
Jermaine Jenas, widely tipped as the favourite to succeed Lineker, was sacked by the BBC
Jenas is pictured on his last episode of the One Show on July 22 this year alongside Alex Jones
The former England international issued a public apology to the two women he had texted but insisted they were between consenting adults.
Jenas now fears for the future of his marriage with his wife of 13 years, Ellie Penfold.
'I haven't slept properly since they told me, to be honest,' he told The Sun.
'I mean, the anxiety that builds up in your body over these types of things. I haven't had any sleeping pills. I've just not been sleeping.
'You just kind of lay there, mind's ticking over until you just pass out. Part of me would just rather go out and run until I collapse.'
Jenas is pictured with his wife Ellie Penfold at the Pride Of Britain Awards on October 8, 2023
Jenas, who has three children with Ellie and another teenage daughter from a previous relationship, revealed his wife has not yet told him whether their marriage can last.
He added: 'When I see Ellie most days, she just kind of gets up. She goes to make sure the children are OK. I feel ashamed. I feel I've let everybody down.'