Football presenter Des Lynam has hit back at BBC director-general Greg Dyke, after reports the BBC chief accused him of losing his sparkle.

Mr Dyke was reported to have said earlier this year that Lynam "looks tired and like he doesn't care any more" while presenting ITV1 show The Premiership, after the star left the BBC.

But Lynam delivered a withering assessment of the alleged comments on Thursday in an interview on Channel 5.

"In truth I really only listen to the opinions of people in broadcasting whose reputation I admire.

Greg Dyke: Old friend of Des Lynam

"Mr Dyke doesn't fall into that category," he told Open House With Gloria Hunniford.

Lynam left the BBC in 1999 in a highly-publicised move to its 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.

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

A spokeswoman for the BBC said at the time: "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."