Andy Gray 'will sue Sky Sports for £3m'

Sacked football pundit Andy Gray plans to sue Sky Sports for £3 million for unfair dismissal and breach of contract, it has been claimed.



According to The Mirror, the ex-footballer was with his legal team yesterday discussing a possible lawsuit against his former employer after he was fired following off-air sexist comments he had made in discussion with presenter Richard Keys.

It is claimed that Gray is seeking payment for the remainder of his contract, believed to be in the region of £1.7 million a year.

Gray yesterday issued a statement through his lawyers Schillings, which read: "I am very sorry that certain comments made by me have caused offence. Such comments were made off-air to work colleagues, and were of course never intended to be broadcast.

"I was very upset when the comments were brought to my attention, and it was my intention to apologise on Monday night when I was back on air for the Bolton v Chelsea game.

"Sadly I was unable to do so as I was suspended from the show by Sky Sports and have now been sacked. Football is my life and I am devastated by losing the job that I love. I am equally upset that third parties have been dragged into this issue."

A source added: "He feels very down and a little embarrassed about everything. Exactly how you'd feel if you had just been sacked from a job you loved. It doesn't feel like he got a second chance or was allowed to apologise."

Keys yesterday quit his job at Sky Sports for his own comments about female assistant referee Sian Massey, adding that "going forward without Andy would have been almost impossible".