BBC pundit Alan Hansen 'set for pay cut'

Match Of The Day pundit Alan Hansen is talking with the BBC about a new deal which will see him stay on the show but take a large pay cut.

The former Liverpool defender has come under fire for his wage packet which is reported to be around £1.5 million a year.

His contract is up at the end of this season and BBC insiders say he will take a "considerable" cut under the terms of the new deal.

Hansen, whose career included 26 Scotland caps and three European Cup wins with Liverpool, started broadcasting after he retired in 1991.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We never discuss talent pay or talent negotiation."

The BBC, which has come under fire for the amount of licence fee- payers' money it gives its top stars and senior bosses, unveiled a blueprint for savings last year.

Its Delivering Quality First programme includes selling off buildings, showing more repeats and shedding around 2,000 jobs by 2016 in a bid to make savings of £670 million a year by 2016/17.

It has also asked top talent including Jeremy Paxman and Graham Norton to take pay cuts.

Its latest set of accounts, published last year, showed it paid £22 million to 19 stars in its top pay bracket, which includes everyone earning above £500,000.

PA