Danny Murphy tells BBC greatest Gary Lineker substitute for Match of Day ‘apparent’
Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy says Mark Chapman is the “obvious” and “standout” candidate to replace Gary Lineker as host of the BBC programme.
Lineker announced he is stepping down from the role at the end of this season last month after hosting the BBC’s flagship football production since 1999.
He will, however, front the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup next season, as well as the World Cup in 2026. Lineker is one of the BBC’s best-known presenters and its highest-paid star, earning £1.3m a year.
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And Murphy, who has appeared on Match of the Day since retiring from football in 2013, believes Chapman is the man to take over from former Leicester, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham striker Lineker, who says hosting MOTD “has been a real privilege”.
“The obvious candidate to replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day for me is Mark Chapman,” Murphy told BetBrain. “He’s worked on Match of the Day 2 for a long time and he’s brilliant at his job.
(Image: BBC)
“Working with Gary has been an absolute pleasure and he’s outstanding at what he does. Working with Chappers is also a huge pleasure – he’s so calm and comfortable in the seat and he’s incredibly knowledgeable about football.
“Presenting is a job that is more difficult than people think – my attempt at reading autocues and presenting the shows off-camera have been horrendous! With that in mind, I really admire anyone who has the ability and the confidence to sit in that seat, and I think Chapman is the standout candidate. He’s a wonderful presenter and very popular.”
Chapman remains the bookies’ firm favourite, with Kelly Cates, Alex Scott and Gabby Logan next up in the betting market.
Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, who form part of the trio on ‘The Rest is Football’ podcast with Lineker, are the likeliest ex-professional male footballers to take the role.
Chapman has held various roles at the BBC including hosting BBC Radio’s ‘5 Live Sport’, alongside his work on the corporation’s rugby league and NFL coverage.
