ALEX SCOTT ANNOUNCED AS NEW PRESENTER OF BBC'S FOOTBALL FOCUS

Alex Scott will take over as the presenter of Football Focus after Dan Walker announced he was standing down at the end of the season.

The 36-year-old former Arsenal and England full-back made more than 200 club appearances during her playing career, earned 140 caps for her country and represented Great Britain at London 2012.

Alex becomes the show's first permanent female host in its 47-year history and spoke to BBC Sport about how it feels to bring in a new era in front of one million weekly viewers.

Alex said: "When I was a kid, I would never have watched television and thought someone like me could be presenting a programme like Football Focus. For the BBC to trust me with this role and allow me to be my true, authentic self means a lot.

To say I'm the Football Focus presenter feels surreal. I've had some amazing messages and an incredible reaction on social media - I want to thank everyone for their support."