Ian Wright stepped down from the BBC’s flagship sports show (Picture: BBC)
The BBC have picked two pundits to replace former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright on Match of the Day.
The ex-footballer and popular personality made his debut on the show while still playing in 1997 and worked as a regular pundit since 2002.
Wright bowed out in May, watching his beloved former club Arsenal narrowly miss out on the Premier League title on the final day of the season.
In an interview with former Match of the Day presenter Des Lynam, the Radio Times revealed former England stars Joe Hart and Theo Walcott had been snapped up to be regular pundits on the flagship show this season.
Hart, 37, was England’s No. 1 for the best part of a decade and won two Premier League titles at Manchester City. The former goalkeeper, who finished his career at Celtic, worked for the BBC during Euro 2024.
Walcott, meanwhile, made just shy of 400 Premier League appearances, most for Arsenal either side of spells at Southampton and Everton.
Ex-Three Lions striker Gary Lineker will continue to host the programme alongside regular pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
Wright was reduced to tears during his final Match of the Day appearance and admitted he was surprised by his ’emotional’ reaction.
‘It was quite emotional. I didn’t realise it was going to hit me like it did, but with the day and Arsenal losing, [Manchester] City scoring so early – it dampened the day a bit,’ he said.
Joe Hart worked for the BBC during Euro 2024 (Picture: Getty)
‘As the day went on and you got into the studio, you’re saying bye all day to people you’ve seen for many years – runners who are now producers and people in the gallery.
‘So, it was all building, I got more and more emotional. While I was doing the show, you’re in show mode, then the grandkids came on and that finished me.
‘All my grandkids are Manchester City fans, my granddaughter was trolling me, she was saying, ‘Well done granddad, but City are the best.”‘
Theo Walcott entered the media following his retirement (Picture: Getty)
Explaining his reasons for departing, Wright added: ‘It was time. I had a dear friend who said that sometimes you’ve got to know when to step back, change, rest, have a break, and say no – it’s just time.
‘The way I am now, because I have to get back to London [after filming] it’s like 3.30am in the morning – it’s a long day. I leave at 8am in the morning and get back at 12am [midnight].
‘I don’t want to stay over in Manchester. I used to but there are personal reasons why I always want to get back home [after filming].
‘Especially, when you’re on Match of the Day, you’re live and I’ve had a massive problem before with people knowing where you are, so I always want to get back home to the Missus and the girls.
‘It just takes me two to three days after that to get ready and there are other things I’m doing which I just haven’t got the energy for sometimes.
‘I’m getting older, I just want to make sure I use the time well and efficiently for myself and at the moment, Match of the Day is the one that if something had to go, it had to be that.’
The first Match of the Day of the new season will be broadcast on BBC One at 10.20pm on Saturday night following the first round of Premier League fixtures.
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