Graeme Souness was sacked by Sky Sports after 'clumsy' comments claims Richard Keys

Richard Keys has claimed Graeme Souness was sacked by Sky Sports due to controversial comments after the former Liverpool midfielder announced he would be leaving his pundit role.

Souness, 70, announced he would be leaving his role at Sky Sports live on air while covering Liverpool's 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. He leaves after 15-years in the role after reportedly deciding not to renew his contract.

The split between the two parties seemed amicable with Souness stating he was leaving Sky in 'good hands' once he departed the role.

Keys, who was sacked by Sky back in 2011 and now works for beIN sports, has since stated on his personal blog that there was more to the departure than just an end of contract. Speaking in one of his latest columns, Keys said: “It turns out it was decided to dispense with Graeme’s services the moment he referred to football being a ‘man’s game’. Remember? He used that phrase after Chelsea’s 2-2 draw v Spurs in August.

“His comments caused a bit of a stir. He was clumsy in his phraseology. He didn’t mean harm, but you can’t say that anymore. Football is simply a game – enjoyed by everyone. And we should celebrate that.

“I think most people felt that Graeme had been clumsy and he’s a much loved character, so they were happy to give him the benefit of the doubt - but senior management at Sky certainly weren’t. They decided that was it. He’d be out at the first opportunity.”

Former Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness

The comments arrived while Souness was working on Chelsea versus Tottenham Hotspur earlier on in the season, speaking on Sky Sports he said: “Referees are letting a lot more go and it allows for a better watch. It’s a man's game all of a sudden now. I thoroughly enjoyed both games today.”

SPORTbible have since contacted both Sky and Souness' representatives for a comment on the matter.