Danny Murphy names ‘glaring, obvious’ choice he’d pick to succeed Gary Lineker as Match of the Day host

The race is officially on to find Gary Lineker’s successor as Match of the Day host, but Danny Murphy already know who he’d pick.

The BBC confirmed Lineker will step down from his Match of the Day role at the end of the 2024/25 season.

Lineker will leave his Match of the Day role at the end of the 2024/25 seasonCredit: GettyHowever, he will still have a presence with the broadcaster having signed an 18-month extension which will see him through to the end of the 2026 World Cup.

By the end of the 2024/25 season, Lineker will have hosted Match of the Day for a staggering 26 years.

His shoes will not be easy to fill, meaning the BBC must get it right when it comes to Lineker’s successor.

But who will that all-important figure be?

Read more football newsA number of names will be in the running from Alex Scott to Gabby Logan, Jason Mohammad and even Micah Richards.

Jermaine Jenas had been a frontrunner, but was axed earlier this season for inappropriate behaviour.

According to former Liverpool star Danny Murphy, who has worked alongside Lineker on Match of the Day and other shows over the years, believes the next host is hidden in plain sight.

“I feel that they’ve got [a candidate],” Murphy told Kick Off on talkSPORT.

“Mark Chapman, who I work with a lot on Sundays. I think he’s a brilliant presenter and very, very knowledgeable on sport and football. Somebody who is ready-made for it.

“Whether he wants it or not, I don’t know. That’s a different question, you’d have to ask him.

Murphy has thrown his support behind Chapman to take over from Lineker

Chapman is currently Match of the Day 2 host and Murphy is backing him for the main gigCredit: Getty”But he would be the glaring, obvious choice for me.”

Chapman began his broadcasting career with the BBC in 1996 and later became the cricket correspondent for BBC North East radio.

Along with hosting Match of the Day 2, which airs on Sunday and Chapman is a highly-visible presence for the BBC’s rugby league coverage and is their chief rugby league presenter.

Chapman also hosts Sports Report, which is one of the longest-running sports radio shows on the planet.

The 51-year-old even hosted two NFL shows for the broadcaster, further highlighting Murphy’s point regarding his versatility and in-depth knowledge of multiple sports.

Chapman also fronts Sky Sports’ coverage of the Carabao Cup.

Lineker has even suggested Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison as a future host of the flagship highlights show.

“He’s very eloquent and he’s very good tactically. I think he’s the best of the players in the post-match interview,” he told The Rest Is Football podcast.

But Maddison is 27 and it would not be for a number of years until after he has finished playing.

Maddison has been tipped as a future host by Lineker himselfCredit: GettyWhomever ends up becoming Lineker’s successor, they will be just the third permanent host of Match of the Day since 1988.

Legendary broadcaster Des Lynam was in the hosting role for 11 years before he was replaced by Lineker in 1999.

On the immediate future of the show, a source told The Sun: “Gary absolutely adores Match of the Day and has been incredibly happy at the BBC.

“But he has been at the helm since 1999, and by the time he leaves he will have been at the Beeb for 30 years.

“He wants to leave on a high – and if England win the World Cup, it doesn’t get much higher.

“It’s one of the industry’s worst-kept secrets that the new BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski and Gary aren’t exactly close. The former is very keen to make his mark by bringing in new faces and slashing wage bills.

Read More on talkSPORT“Negotiations have been ongoing for the past six weeks and finally a deal has been struck that everyone is pleased with. Execs will be giving Match of the Day a reboot to keep it fresh in the wake of such a huge departure.”

An official announcement regarding Lineker’s impending exit is expected to be made on Tuesday.