Premier League 2024-25 review: broadcasters of the season
Lucy Ward
Educational without being patronising, Ward is one of those rare co-commentators who understands her brief. Preferring to explain to viewers what they might have missed instead of telling them what they have just seen, the former Leeds and Doncaster forward finds herself as in-demand as any of her male counterparts despite her playing career taking place during a period when England's female footballers went about their business in almost total obscurity.
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Meticulous in her preparation whether it's for an early-morning recording of the Guardian's Football Weekly podcast or an evening broadcast of a Europa League final with a significantly lower audience, the constant demand for Ward's services from an ever-increasing array of TV and radio networks makes a mockery of the relentless, staggeringly unoriginal trolling to which she is subjected on social media from cripplingly insecure misogynists, one of whom is extremely high profile. It is abuse that the good-humoured and largely unflappable Ward should not have to endure but she appears to accept it as an occupational hazard and take it in her stride.
Kate Scott
Responsible for the dual tasks of encouraging and reining in the giddier impulses of Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and Thierry Henry on the often toe-curling banterfest that is CBS's Champions League coverage. The former Sky Sports presenter manages to chair proceedings with a deftness that has helped her pundits avoid getting themselves in potentially career-damaging trouble or the entire show being pulled from the air.
Unshackled by the constraints imposed by other employers, Carragher and Richards are likable sorts, but often behave like unruly schoolboys, while Henry is far less trouble in his affectation of sniffy French superiority. While their sniggering, ribald repartee and over-familiarity with interviewees is not for everyone and must completely baffle their American audience, clips of their bawdy badinage posted on social media help hoover up those all-important likes and retweets on this side of the pond.
Danny Kelly and Andy Brassell
Given his passion for music and previous life as editor of the New Musical Express and Q magazine, it's no surprise the title and theme music of Danny Kelly's Sunday night show on Talksport are a homage to the German musical pioneers Kraftwerk. The Trans-Europe Express does exactly what it says on the tin, with Kelly and his sidekick, Andy Brassell, spending each episode on a whistle-stop tour through Europe's major football destinations.
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The duo are equally happy to alight at less storied – but no less interesting – platforms should the need arise. Kelly is a broadcasting genius, whose effortless style, genial personality and innate curiosity make for easy late-night listening. Brassell's good humour and almost supernatural ability to absorb, retain and disseminate information about continental football and every single professional who plays it make him the perfect foil.
Gary Lineker
While a fractious relationship with the BBC top brass ended on the back of his decision to share a social media post about Zionism that included an antisemitic slur, Gary Lineker's interview with Amol Rajan a few weeks suggested the Match of the Day presenter had a feeling the jig would soon be up for him at the corporation and wasn't fussed. The former England striker's gradual transformation from hesitant TV novice to confident but empathetic frontman and social commentator has been an entertaining staple over the past 25 years, but Lineker is wise enough to know that for all his wit and charm, it is the football highlights, not analysis of them, that attract viewers to Match of the Day. His lengthy stint in the hot seat will be remembered fondly by many, even if the pedigree and popularity of his anointed successors suggests he is unlikely to be missed.
Joe Hart
New enough at the punditry game to prompt corpsing from Gary Lineker and Micah Richards when he became distracted by some producer talkback in his earpiece while analysing a Brighton goal on Match of the Day, the former England goalkeeper has proved a more than worthy addition to the punditry circuit. Eloquent, informative and largely devoid of pomposity or cliche, Hart is clearly grateful the late career lifeline thrown to him by Ange Postecoglou during his time as Celtic manager and has always been happy to mount stirring defences of the Australian's methods while explaining why they weren't working in the Premier League. As a former goalkeeper, he has a field of expertise most other pundits don't and, along with Shay Given, has done much to dispel the long-held myth that players in their position who get beaten at their near post are always at fault. It wasn't before time.
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