Mark Chapman's name looks set to be the focus of plenty of speculation over the coming months following Gary Lineker's planned departure from Match of the Day presenting duties.
Lineker is set to step down as presenter of Britain's favourite football show after 26 years at the helm and will leave the BBC entirely after the 2026 World Cup.
With Chapman believed to be one of the leading candidates to fill the vacancy, we take a closer look at the presenter's remarkable career, and how well he could fill the enormous shoes of Lineker.
Who is Mark Chapman?
Mark Chapman is a giant of the sports media industry and has been a mainstay with the BBC for nearly 30 years, having first joined the organisation as a continuity announcer in 1996.
The 51-year old has voiced some of the most iconic sporting moments of the last 20 years having risen through the ranks, and is now best known for his presenting work both on television and radio.
Chapman has featured on some of the nations' biggest sporting programmes, presenting both Final Score and MOTD 2, as well as featuring regularly on Radio 5 Live.
In 2013, Chapman was promoted to the BBC's chief Rugby League presenter and has since been a regular at Super League finals and World Cups.
The presenter has also branched out into the NFL and the summer Olympics, becoming a household name across the country ahead of a potential career-defining role replacing Lineker this summer.
Chapman has also performed a range of charity work across his career, raising money for multiple causes through different marathons and other physical challenges.
Away from presenting, Chapman became Chair of the Board for the Manchester Originals cricket team for The Hundred in July 2021.
In 2022, Chapman extended his influence in football to become Non-Executive Director at Vanarama National League team Altrincham Football Club.
He is a Manchester United football fan and also a fan of Hull F.C. owing to his time at university in Hull.
