Danny Murphy's lost cat causes a stir as ex-England & Liverpool star tells bizarre story during World Cup commentary

Murphy bizarrely paid tribute to his pet while co-commentating on the round of 32 tie between the Ivory Coast and Norway for the BBC.

The peculiar moment occurred when Oscar Bobb came on as a second-half substitute to replace Alexander Sorloth. With Norway leading 1-0, Bobb almost immediately received the ball, leading main commentator Steve Bower to say: "Here's Bobb's first involvement". Following a 10-second pause in the action, Murphy took the opportunity to state: "I used to have a cat called Bob.". The co-commentator recalled this personal story during a lull in play, immediately after a hydration break.

Bower was unimpressed by the feline tribute and responded: "The game's not that bad,". However, Murphy continued his personal story by revealing the fate of his pet. "Yeah, he jumped in the back of a Royal Mail van, and we lost him.". After another brief pause, he concluded by saying: "Sad really. Anyway," before laughing. Bower then moved them on and steered the broadcast back to the match, stating: "Anyway, 18 minutes to go, the Ivory Coast need a goal."

Fortunately for them, a goal did follow barely a minute later from Amad Diallo, before Erling Haaland eventually secured a victory for Norway four minutes from time.

The bizarre anecdote sparked a heavily divided reaction across social media. While the Football Ramble celebrated the moment by dubbing it "truly iconic commentary", other amused fans likened the broadcast to a famous comedy character, with one saying: "Easily the best bit of commentary from Danny Murphy ever. Full Partridge."

Another viewer added: "Love the look on [Bower's] face when Danny Murphy starts this story," with another saying: "Best commentary line of the tournament. Take a bow Danny Murphy."

Conversely, several viewers were frustrated by the lack of match focus. One fan sarcastically posted: "Riveting analysis from Danny Murphy here", while another bluntly asked, "Sorry, how is Danny Murphy a real commentator?"

The sheer absurdity of the tale even led some to doubt its truthfulness, prompting one user to joke: "I think it must be some version of an 'off to live on a farm' thing his parents told him? This needs to full true crime podcast treatment. Justice for Bob."

Norway now advance to the round of 16 following their late goal, where they are set to face Brazil in a highly anticipated clash.

Meanwhile, Murphy and Bower are expected to continue their media duties as the World Cup progresses. Fans will undoubtedly be tuning in to see if any more unexpected animal anecdotes are shared during future broadcasts as the international competition heats up and moves towards the final stages.