The story of Bob the feral cat has finally reached its conclusion on the BBC, after co-commentator Danny Murphy finished his story during Spain-Austria at the FIFA World Cup
23:09, 02 Jul 2026Updated 23:13, 02 Jul 2026
Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy concluded his cat story on the BBC World Cup broadcast
Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy concluded his cat story on the BBC World Cup broadcast(Image: BBC)
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy decided to share the full story of his feral cat Bob during the BBC's coverage of the Round of 32 clash between Spain and Austria on Thursday.
Spain beat Austria 3-0 to advance to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup, where they will face either Portugal or Croatia. New Liverpool signing Victor Munoz was left on the bench during the game and has yet to feature in the tournament.
On the BBC broadcast, the commentary duo of Steve Bower and Murphy once again were in the booth calling the game. Last time they were together, Murphy told a bizarre story about his old cat, and he finished the tale after it went viral on social media.
On Tuesday, Norway beat the Ivory Coast 2-1 in the Round of 32, but one of the most viral moments came from the BBC broadcast. Erling Haaland may have scored a dramatic winner in the 86th minute, but Murphy's tale was the major talking point.
In the 72nd minute, as Norway led 1-0, Oscar Bobb was brought on as a substitute, and it appeared to trigger a memory for Murphy. "We used to have a cat called Bob," he said.
Initially, the main commentator, Bower, laughed off the comment as he said, "The game’s not that bad." But Murphy insisted upon continuing his story.
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"He jumped in the back of a Royal Mail van and they lost him. Sad really… Anyway."
The broadcast then got back on track, but the unexpected moment went viral across social media. Fans joked that it was the best moment of commentary at the FIFA World Cup, so when Murphy and Bower were reunited for Spain-Austria, he finished the story everyone had been desperate for.
This time, though, it was Bower who brought it up after initially attempting to restore some order two days ago. "You told a story about your cat, Bob," Bower began, allowing Murphy the floor to continue his tale.
Murphy used to play for Liverpool and has become a World Cup commentator icon
Murphy used to play for Liverpool and has become a World Cup commentator icon(Image: Getty Images)
"Well, surprisingly, Steve, there was a lot of interest, which surprised us both, but, yeah. He didn't actually die. We did get him back six or seven weeks later," Murphy said.
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"Unfortunately, he'd gone feral, and we couldn't reintegrate him into the home. He ended up living with my friend's parents in Preston.
"That was the life he had. Now he has passed away, unfortunately, many years ago. Thanks for all the concern, those who have been messaging us."
The segment was then wrapped up by Bower, who said, "RIP, Bob." With so much soccer left to play, Murphy may have some more random stories yet to share.