Yahoo News Alan Hansen, Des Lynam, Mark Lawrenson - what happened to Match of the Day legends of 90s
Match of the Day, a staple of British TV for 60 years, has seen many football greats move from the field to the pundit's seat since it started in 1964.
But what happened to those iconic figures from the nineties who analysed the week's matches?
While today's audience is familiar with Gary Lineker, Mark Chapman and Alan Shearer, viewers from the 90s fondly remember Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson and Des Lynam at the helm.
Curious about where these presenters ended up after their time on the BBC's premier football show?
READ MORE: The 'crippling' reason Alan Hansen disappeared from TV 10 years ago
The Mirror delved into the past to find out what some of the UK's most famous football personalities have been doing, reports the Express.
Alan Hansen, one of Scotland's most celebrated players and former Liverpool captain, became a Match of the Day analyst in 1992. He left the public eye after a distinguished 22-year run following the 2014 World Cup, choosing a more private life.
In a worrying development, Liverpool recently revealed that Hansen is "seriously ill" in hospital. The club showed their support on X (formerly Twitter), saying: "The thoughts and support of everyone at Liverpool FC are with our legendary former captain Alan Hansen, who is currently seriously ill in hospital."
Des Lynam, the renowned presenter who became a household name fronting Match of the Day for more than 10 years, has taken an unexpected turn in his career path, embracing the role of a modern-day Dr Doolittle. The seasoned broadcaster, whose career took off with Sportswide in 1977 and who helmed MOTD from 1988 to 1999 before switching to ITV, has now ventured into the world of children's literature with a series of animal-themed stories.
Lynam embarked on this new chapter with his charming 'Now Who's Talking?' books. Reflecting on this shift, Lynam shared: "It never occurred to me about writing about animals. I was looking out of the window one day.
"The two magpies who usually stood together were at opposite ends of the garden. I wondered if they'd had a row. Obviously, we don't know how they communicate, so I made it up from there. I made them speak English obviously, and created some dialogue, that was the first one and it grew from there, doing other animals. I thought it was quite funny and hoped somebody else would."
In related news, Lawrenson, another familiar face, ended his long-standing relationship with the BBC after more than 20 years on Match of the Day. Lawrenson, who was a regular on MOTD from 1997 to 2018 and continued with Football Focus until he hung up his mic at the end of the 2021/22 season, has sparked debate by implying that his exit was influenced by being "65 and a white male".
In a frank discussion with The Times back in 2022, Lawrenson revealed: "The Beeb are probably the worst at giving you bad news. It was just, 'We are going on the road next season with Focus. We don't think it is really something for you.' I haven't watched the programme since to see if they have gone on the road."
He also expressed his disappointment by saying: "I just wish they had said to me at the start of my contract last year, 'You've had a great run, thanks very much and you are not working next season'."
Two years after leaving, Lawrenson still holds a dim view of the BBC, earlier this year calling them "top of the woke league."
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson made his Match of the Day debut in 1976, teaming up with the iconic Jimmy Hill. He remained on the show until 1994 before moving to ITV to present Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup games.
Wilson is also the founder of The Willow Foundation, set up in memory of his daughter Anna who sadly died at the age of 31 from malignant schwannoma - he received an OBE in 2007 for his work with the charity.
Jimmy Hill, once a notable player for Brentford and Fulham and manager for Coventry City, transitioned from the field to the TV studio in 1973. Joining Match of the Day, he became a mainstay presenter for 15 years, amassing over 600 appearances.
Hill returned to the programme as an analyst in 1994, offering insights for another three years. In 1999, he made the switch from BBC to Sky Sports. Hill was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2008 and sadly passed away at the age of 87 in 2015.
A statue honouring his six-year managerial career now stands outside Coventry's Ricoh Arena.
Ray Stubbs began his broadcasting journey with BBC Manchester in the late '80s, primarily covering snooker and darts. His big break came with Grandstand, Sportsnight and as a stand-in presenter for Match of the Day.
Between 1993 and 2009, Stubbs would occasionally appear on the BBC show as relief before leaving the corporation.
Stubbs then transitioned to ESPN, later working with BT Sport and talkSPORT. Most recently, he presented the World Seniors Championship of snooker in May.
