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Tigers assistant Geordan Murphy held talks with Cardiff Blues about their head coach job in December

Leicester interim head coach Geordan Murphy says having the role on a permanent basis would be a “dream job”.

A Tigers legend as a player, Murphy has stepped up to replace Matt O’Connor, who was sacked on Tuesday evening.

“I would be crazy to say no, it’s obviously a dream; but it’s very early days,” Murphy, 40, told BBC 5 live.

“It was a bit of a shock but I didn’t have too much time to dwell on it. The board asked me to do the role for the next few weeks and I have taken it.”

O’Connor, 47, departed 48 hours after the Tigers lost 40-6 at Exeter in their opening Premiership game of the season.

Murphy knew there was pressure on the Australian coming into the new campaign after Tigers missed out on the play-offs for the first time in 14 seasons in May.

But he said the decision still came as a “shock”.

He continued: “As a coaching group and playing group we felt we had let our friend down. so the onus is on us to put things right.

“We have to go out and perform and hopefully we will get a reaction.”

Murphy spent 16 seasons as a player at the Welford Road club and has been part of the coaching staff since retiring at the end of the 2013 season.

Murphy made his Tigers debut in 1997 and appeared in four Heineken Cup finals, seven Premiership finals and won 72 caps for Ireland

He said he had not yet had time to talk to his family about the prospect of taking the job on a permanent basis, but as far as he was aware, the club were not close to appointing a new head coach.

“It’s a dream job,” the Irishman added. “It’s a very big job in that I am sure there will be some big names across the world applying for the job. It’s something I will definitely I take a look at.

“I haven’t sat down with the board. It’s just a suck it and see. It’s about getting the best out of the guys in the next two or three games.”

Murphy won 72 caps for Ireland, two Test caps for the Lions and scored 691 points, including 93 tries, in Leicester colours.

He has been strongly backed by club captain Tom Youngs, who has urged the board to give him their full support.

“Having a good knowledge of the club and the playing group is a very good starting point,” Murphy added.

“I want to play a good style of rugby but it has to be a winning style of rugby. People at Leicester expect results.”

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