Mirror Football has launched a search to find the best football pundit in the land, and fans are being asked to cast their votes. The competition, dubbed the Golden Mic, will see 30 top pundits battle it out across five heats, with the top three from each heat progressing to the last 16 alongside the best fourth-place finisher.
How the voting works
Voting will run in stages: five heats of six pundits each, with the top three from each heat advancing. The top fourth-place pick will also make it through to the last 16. From there, fans will whittle down the contenders until a winner is crowned.
The list includes obvious frontrunners. Wayne Rooney impressed at the World Cup for the BBC with top-tier analysis delivered with deadpan honesty. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, both Sky Sports stalwarts, are described as divisive as Marmite. TNT Sports is represented by Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand, with Gary Lineker also included.
The 30 nominees
The full list of 30 pundits nominated for the Ballon d'Or of Pundits includes Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards, Daniel Sturridge, Michael Dawson, Jamie Redknapp, Karen Carney, Ally McCoist, Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch, Glenn Hoddle, Joleon Lescott, Joe Cole, Gareth Bale, Robbie Savage, Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Lee Dixon, Gary Lineker, Wayne Rooney, Danny Murphy, Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Joe Hart, Martin Keown, Alex Scott, Dion Dublin, and Stephen Warnock.
The competition aims to celebrate the loud, relentless and occasionally unhinged voices that soundtrack weekends, swapping black-tie vanity for half-time chaos. Fans are urged to vote and decide the fate of their favourite pundit.
