Bob Iger, the mild-mannered chief operating officer of Walt Disney, has long coveted the top job at the iconic US entertainment group.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, he made clear that he hoped to succeed Michael Eisner following the chief executive's announcement last year that he would be standing down after more than 20 years in the role. Mr Iger, whose current contract expires in September, hinted that he would not be staying if the board did not select him for the top job.