Alan Hansen set for his last "match of the day" show

Hansen set for final bow on MOTD
Alan Hansen is stepping down from his Match Of The Day role

Outgoing Match Of The Day pundit Alan Hansen has said he will miss the team on the show as he prepares for his final appearance this weekend, bowing out after 22 years.

The programme regular will step down after Sunday's edition although he will continue on screen for the BBC's coverage of the World Cup this summer.

He said of his last MOTD, to be screened at 10.30pm : "I will mostly miss the people, who have been fantastic to work with.

"I always loved the special atmosphere of a dressing room, and the atmosphere in Match Of The Day was often pretty close to that. It's such an iconic programme, but the great people on it have made it even better to be involved with.

"To finish my career at the World Cup in Brazil is the ultimate. I grew up watching that 1970 Brazil team and to be there as a pundit will be a fantastic way to end my BBC career."

Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker paid tribute as he said: "In my opinion, as a television football pundit Alan Hansen has been for two decades consistently the best. Opinionated, knowledgeable and tactically superb."

The BBC's football boss Mark Cole said: "Alan has changed the world of football punditry as we know it. Throughout his time at the BBC he has brought a unique tactical perspective to analysis and has paved the way for others to follow.

"We will all miss him greatly at Match Of The Day and wish him the best in his retirement after the World Cup in Brazil."

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Will be strange without him on the show , now hopefully lawrenson will follow him out of the door

money for old rope plus hes shit. Punditry has moved on since he was king and the BBC haven't moved with the times. As much as I wanted to hate him think Neville is superb also carracgher is good, you can see the research and time put into their analysis compared to those on the BBC especially 2-0 lawro.

money for old rope plus hes shit. Punditry has moved on since he was king and the BBC haven't moved with the times. As much as I wanted to hate him think Neville is superb also carracgher is good, you can see the research and time put into their analysis compared to those on the BBC especially 2-0 lawro.

Neville and caragher are brilliant the babe pundits are dinsours

Sorry I meant the NBC pundits

Sorry I meant the NBC pundits

Sorry I again I meant the bbc pundits

It will be a sad, sad day, telly will have lost a true king.

It will be a sad, sad day, telly will have lost a true king.

brilliant in his early years but time has caught up with him......having said that,i can think of a dozen worse without trying hard.....

Thank f**k for that

money for old rope plus hes shit. Punditry has moved on since he was king and the BBC haven't moved with the times. As much as I wanted to hate him think Neville is superb also carracgher is good, you can see the research and time put into their analysis compared to those on the BBC especially 2-0 lawro.

Neville and [b]caragher[/b] are brilliant the babe pundits are dinsours

feck me, you can understand Carragher without a translator??

Bbc pundits are shocking. Hartson is my least favourite.

Shearer is probably one of the better ones

It will be a sad, sad day, telly will have lost a true king.

brilliant in his early years but time has caught up with him......having said that,i can think of a dozen worse without trying hard.....

Yeah I agree, when you're on £30,000 per show it's no surprising why he stayed so long.

Lawrenson is the worst pundit without a doubt, and I'm not saying that because of his Cardiff City predictions either, he's just awful.

This was his best moment - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfQarImZ97Y

He's quick, he's fast and he's got pace

Good, he's a boring c**t, with weird eyebrows..................
Never forgive the tw*t for choosing L'pool over Scotland.

Ain't he getting 1 and half million a year?

He is rubbish.

He's a cock.

Shame that tw*t Shearer isn't finishing as well, what a boring fucker he is.

I bet the show will end with Lineker having a pop at him about not being able to win anything with kids...

Bbc pundits are shocking. Hartson is my least favourite.

Shearer is probably one of the better ones

Shearer one of the better ones..? What the one who seems to forget that he stamped on another players face when playing and blackmailed the FA in the aftermath.

BBC should leave all sport to Sky including Formula 1

Bbc pundits are shocking. Hartson is my least favourite.

Shearer is probably one of the better ones

Shearer one of the better ones..? What the one who seems to forget that he stamped on another players face when playing and blackmailed the FA in the aftermath.

BBC should leave all sport to Sky including Formula 1

One of better ones. Didn't say he was any good though....

in true scouse fashion we will have a minutes silence in a years time to mourn his m.o.t.d passing