Micah Richards joins Match of the Day as new pundit

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart is set to join the Match of the Day team for the upcoming season after announcing his retirement at the end of last season. The 37-year-old, who made 340 Premier League appearances and won multiple titles with Manchester City, concluded his playing career at Celtic, where he secured a Scottish Premiership and Cup double. Hart expressed his excitement about the new role, stating, “I’m very excited, very proud, and looking forward to growing into an incredible role on something that I grew up watching.” Hart will join host Gary Lineker and pundit Alan Shearer in the Salford studio for the iconic Saturday night show, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. The former goalkeeper has previously contributed to BBC coverage during the European Championships and aims to share insights from his extensive career while continuing to learn in this new chapter of his life. In addition to Hart's arrival, it is anticipated that his former Manchester City teammate Micah Richards will take on a more prominent role within the program. Richards has become a familiar face across various platforms, including BBC, Sky Sports, and CBS Sports, and is known for his engaging presence on the podcast, The Rest is Football. Match of the Day is set to return this Saturday, featuring highlights from the opening weekend of the new season, including Ipswich's first top-flight match since 2002 against Liverpool, Arsenal's clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Southampton's trip to Newcastle. The BBC is also making other notable changes, including Troy Deeney taking over the Premier League Team of the Week duties from Garth Crooks.