Fans online have shown plenty of support for Sky Sports anchor Kelly Cates as the person to succeed Gary Lineker as host of Match of the Day. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that Lineker would be stepping down from the iconic BBC show, which he has been hosting since 1999, at the end of the season.

However, he will remain with the broadcaster until at least the 2026 World Cup, also presenting their coverage of next season's FA Cup. The focus has now shifted to who will take over from Lineker as the host of Match of the Day, with numerous names being considered.

A significant number of fans on social media have voiced their preference for Cates to assume the role, given her popular work with Sky, ESPN, and radio stints with the BBC and talkSPORT.

Cates, the daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, started her career at Sky Sports News in 1998 after graduating from university, but left the company in 2006 in search of a change, reports the Mirror.

Following periods with ESPN, ITV and GMTV, Cates returned to Sky, where her career has flourished. Having presented their coverage of the EFL, Cates is now one of the broadcaster's primary Premier League hosts, leading the popular Friday Night Football and Saturday Night Football slots. She has also maintained her presence on BBC 5 Live.

A groundswell of support for Cates has emerged on social media, with one fan on X posting: "Kelly Cates needs to be the new host of Match of the Day from next season. She's a brilliant presenter with a cracking sense of humour and a lot of knowledge. BBC needs to do whatever it takes to get her."

Another fan praised her abilities, saying: "Every major broadcaster knows Kelly's talent, she's versatile, witty, and the trusted voice to host football throughout the season and during our international summers," while a third agreed: "The outstanding candidate from those mentioned though for me is Kelly Cates, a football person since she was born and knows her stuff."

However, other presenters are also in the running for the role. Mark Chapman, who presents the BBC's rugby coverage and Match of the Day 2, is a popular choice among fans and pundits, with one fan stating: "Mark Chapman has to be the man to take over Match of the Day," but they also added, "I do like the idea of Kelly Cates as well though, she's a brilliant presenter."

If bookmakers are to go by, Alex Scott, Gabby Logan, and Laura Woods are also in contention for the role, with another fan writing: “To be honest I think Kelly Cates, Laura Woods and Gabby Logan would all do a superb job, only question is whether Gabby Logan would want to keep the variety she has of presenting on different sports.”

Chapman is presently the frontrunner to take over from Lineker, followed by Scot, Cates, Kelly Somers and David Jones. But this could yet change with the BBC yet to make any decision.