Gary Lineker hinted live on air that he will eventually replaced at the helm of Match of the Day by a former Newcastle United star on Saturday night.

The 62-year-old, who scored 331 goals across at 16-year career, will mark his 24th anniversary hosting the show later this month. However, he has previously admitted that his time in the hot seat is "nearly up", with speculation continuing over who will succeed him.

Former Newcastle United midfielder and BBC colleague is among the favourites after Lineker himself has named him as a frontrunner. Jenas, who made 152 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions and scored 12 goals between 2001 and 2006, has already presented Match of the Day 2.

He has also presented spin off show MOTDx, which was recently cancelled after four years, and is a regular host on evening magazine show The One Show. Now, Lineker has furthered speculation that Jenas may replace him after dropping a hint on Saturday night's show, Mirror reports.

Jenas appeared as a pundit alongside former Swansea City and Everton defender Ashley Williams, and asked host Lineker what the thought about a potential penalty incident in Everton's 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, involving Eagles winger Eberechi Eze. He added: "I always like the striker's opinion."

It's no secret that Jenas would love the top job after gaining experience on other shows. He told the Daily Mail in April: "I would obviously be up for it, it's Match of the Day and it would be a great opportunity."

In an interview with Mirror Football earlier in 2023, Jenas clarified: "I still really enjoy the punditry side of things and analysing games of football, just because of my love of the game. But I think as you evolve as an individual, you wanna keep challenging yourself and keep testing yourself.

"I always felt that presenting alongside my experience in the game was gonna be a nice blend, especially given what I saw when I was around Gary and other presenters who've crossed over from a sporting background to television."