Des Lynam's work on ITV is bright, intuitive and witty

Brian Barwick, ITV

Lynam left the BBC in 1999 in a highly-publicised move to rival ITV, with the intention of presenting football coverage in a more mainstream slot.

But ITV was forced into an embarrassing U-turn over its highlights plans on Saturdays last year when its scheduling of The Premiership in the early evening failed to win over the viewers.

'Surprise'

It was then moved to a later slot on Saturday night.

"If you're going to have presenters like him and Terry Venables you need to have someone (else) who is going to surprise people," Mr Dyke was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail and Express newspapers.

Greg Dyke: ITV 'regrets' Premiership football rights

ITV has said it is a "shame" that Mr Dyke had reportedly disparaged one of Britain's most respected broadcasters.

"Des Lynam's work on ITV is bright, intuitive and witty, qualities that others in sports broadcasting have tried to imitate," said ITV's controller of sport Brian Barwick.

"He is one of Britain's finest and most popular broadcasters."

Des is an old friend of Greg Dyke and a respected broadcaster

BBC spokeswoman

Mr Dyke also said that ITV would try and get out of its Premier league contract if it could, reports the papers.

He is quoted as saying: "I think the next time [the contract is open to bids] it will.

"That feeding frenzy over sports rights of 18 months ago was the end of an era."

An ITV spokesman said: "The Premiership is an important part of ITV's commitment to football.

"It recently scored its best figures yet and some five million viewers are enjoying it each weekend."

Mr Dyke reportedly made the comments in a speech to the Broadcasting Press Guild on Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: "To imply that any such comments were made on the record is nonsense.

"Des is an old friend of Greg Dyke and a respected broadcaster."