Alex Scott ‘to take over from Dan Walker as Football Focus host’

Alex Scott is reportedly set to take over from Dan Walker as presenter of the BBC’s Football Focus programme.

Walker revealed he was stepping down as host of Football Focus after 12 years at the helm of the popular football magazine show earlier this month.

And Scott, who is a pundit for both the BBC and Sky, will replace him in the hotseat and become the first woman to present the show, according to The Sun. 

Alex Scott (L) is reportedly set to take over from Dan Walker as presenter of Football Focus

Scott (left in 2017 and right on Strictly in 2019) played for Arsenal before becoming a pundit

 Ex-defender Scott, 36, earned 140 Three Lions caps in international career spanning 13 years

‘Alex was deemed the perfect fit for the role,’ a source told The Sun. 

‘Not only is she a great broadcaster, her knowledge of the game is outstanding.

‘Alex is going to be a huge asset to the Football Focus team. Everyone is so excited to have her on board.’

Scott appeared on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing two years ago, partnering Neil Jones (above)

Walker will step down as presenter of Football Focus at the end of the 2020-21 campaign

A BBC spokesman told the outlet: ‘An announcement on the new presenter will be made in due course.’ 

The former Arsenal star and England international was among the bookmakers’ favourites to replace Walker following his announcement.

Ex-right-back Scott, 36, earned 140 Three Lions caps in an international career spanning 13 years. She won an impressive 21 trophies at the Gunners.

The former defender, who was brought up on a council estate in Poplar, east London by her single mother, was taken on by the London club aged just eight. 

She worked in the Arsenal laundry room as a teenager to make extra cash, before going on to captain the women’s team and led them to multiple successes.   

Scott founded an academy for young female footballers, finished her career as the second most-capped England Women player and was awarded an MBE in 2017.

The 44-year-old has presented the magazine show for 12 years but will leave this summer

After hanging up her boots in 2018, she transitioned into football punditry and became the BBC’s first female in such a position at a men’s World Cup in 2018. 

Scott is a respected pundit on both the BBC and Sky Sports and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2019 following an esteemed playing career.

Walker joined Football Focus, which has been running since 1974, at the beginning of the 2009-10 season and has been involved through many memorable footballing moments, having taken the show to Afghanistan among other achievements. 

The 44-year-old is one of Football Focus’ longest-serving presenters and his last show will coincide with the end of the current season on Saturday, May 22. 

Scott became the BBC’s first female pundit at a men’s World Cup in Russia in 2018

Walker, who also presents BBC Breakfast and for BBC Sport, will continue in those roles and will work at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. 

‘It has been an amazing 12 years and I have loved every second of it,’ Walker said of his time on the show in a video posted to Twitter. 

‘I am so proud of the job we’ve done, the changes we’ve made and issues we’ve looked at while the football landscape changed immeasurably. Having said that, after 12 years it is time for someone else to take the reigns. 

‘I am really going to miss the magic of the programme, the opportunities it has given me, the great friends I have made along the way and the thousands of conversations I have had with people who love the show just as much as I do. 

‘I’d like to say thank you to the amazing team at Focus who put so much into the show each week and thank you to the audience for tuning in every Saturday.’