Thomas Frank, Robbie Keane and Ashley Young among four new Match of the Day pundits for 2024-25

The BBC has unveiled four new pundits for Match of the Day ahead of the 2024-25 Premier League season, with former Brentford and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank headlining a group that also includes Robbie Keane, Ashley Young and Toby Alderweireld.

Frank, who left Brentford in the summer after guiding the club through their first top-flight campaign in 74 years, joins a rotating panel that already features Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer. Keane, the former Republic of Ireland captain and Tottenham striker, returns to the BBC fold alongside recently retired Ashley Young and ex-Belgium centre-half Alderweireld, who spent five years at Spurs before moving to the Saudi Pro League and then returning to his boyhood club Beerschot.

The presenting lineup remains unchanged from last season, with Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates continuing in their roles after replacing Gary Lineker as the programme’s frontperson.

Off-screen, the BBC’s football schedule has seen one significant casualty. Football Focus, the Saturday lunchtime staple that had run for 52 years, has been axed. In its place, BBC One will broadcast The Football Interview, with Kelly Somers sitting down with Tottenham midfielder James Maddison to mark the opening Saturday of the new season.

Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport, framed the changes as part of a broader effort to put supporters at the centre of the corporation’s football coverage. “Football means something different to every fan, and this season BBC Sport is putting those fans even more firmly at the heart of the game,” he said. “We’re bringing together the unrivalled expertise of former players and managers with the passion, personality and perspectives of supporters themselves to create a richer football experience wherever and however audiences follow the game.”