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BBC lands Wayne Rooney and David Moyes for Euro 2024 as ITV signs up Ange Postecoglou

BBC lands Wayne Rooney and David Moyes for Euro 2024 after ITV signs up Ange Postecoglou
Gary Lineker will lead the BBC's coverage alongside Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand - Shutterstock/Facundo Arrizabalaga

The BBC will field a dozen former England stars as presenters and pundits for the European Championship after announcing Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Joe Hart as part of its line-up.

The corporation will send twice as many ex-Three Lions players and Lionesses as ITV to Germany for this summer’s finals, potentially raising questions about value for money for licence fee payers and impartiality.

Joining Rooney, Lampard and Hart as pundits will be major-tournament regular Rio Ferdinand, alongside BBC stalwarts Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Jermaine Jenas, Danny Murphy and Martin Keown, as well as record England Women scorer Ellen White.

Presenters Gary Lineker and Alex Scott complete an entire ex-England starting XI plus one substitute.

In stark contrast, ITV has axed one England player from its 2022 World Cup line-up in the shape of Joe Cole, while sticking with Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Lee Dixon, Andros Townsend, Karen Carney and Eni Aluko.

The BBC has hired just one former Scotland player in co-commentator James McFadden, although it has recruited fellow Scot David Moyes, the recently-departed West Ham United manager, as one of its pundits.

ITV, itself, has just one ex-Scotland star in the shape of Graeme Souness, who is reunited with former Sky Sports colleagues Neville and Roy Keane.

In terms of current Premier League managers, the BBC has landed Brentford’s Thomas Frank, with ITV securing Tottenham Hotspur’s Ange Postecoglu.

Elsewhere, Cesc Fabregas will be back in the BBC punditry chair along with Ashley Williams, while ITV’s line-up will include Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl and refereeing analyst Christina Unkel.

Laura Woods is set to resume presenting duties for the latter network following the freak accident that forced her to miss TNT Sports’ coverage of Oleksandr Usyk’s historic undisputed heavyweight title triumph over Tyson Fury on Saturday.

ITV’s Euro 2024 coverage will be anchored again by Mark Pougatch.