Kelly Cates is set to host Match of the Day, with Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan also sharing the role (Image: GETTY)
Kelly Cates will present next season, with Gary Lineker’s time in the hot seat set to end. The 49-year-old will share the role with Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan, with the earlier this week.
Cates, who is the daughter of hero Kenny Daglish, has plenty of admirers in football having carved out a reputation as one of the finest broadcasters of her generation.
And her true character has been summed up by former and England goalkeeper Rob Green.
Cates and Green were both present at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as they undertook their media duties, with England reaching the quarter-finals before exiting at the hands of eventual runners-up France.
And Cates’ demeanour came across during a conversation she had with the ex-shot-stopper’s family.
“During the World Cup, she met my wife and kids,” Green told the . “My wife walked away and said, ‘Oh, she’s lovely. You can see why you want to work with these people.’ That one conversation is reflective of how Kelly is.”
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Premier League icon Rob Green has given an insight into Kelly Cates’ off-screen persona (Image: GETTY)
Cates has enjoyed a distinguished career in broadcasting since joining Sky Sports News as a presenter in the late 1990s.
The star worked for Virgin Media, Setanta Sports, ESPN, ITV, STV and Channel 5, before returning to Sky in 2016. She has anchored matches for the sports channel since 2017 and also presents on Radio 5 Live.
And discussing her persona in detail, Green added: “It is her real, genuine warmth. When you meet her, she’s exactly as you would see her on TV.
“The first time I worked with her was for a game in the Champions League. We were together up at the studios in Salford – she made it feel so comfortable for me that I almost forgot I was on air.
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“I think she is someone who will appeal to all types of viewers and she’s genuinely respected by pretty much everyone that will want to watch football on television. I’m absolutely thrilled for her, it’s fantastic news.
“She knows what questions to ask, when to ask them and how to ask them – it might sound a simple thing to say, but it really isn’t.
“She asks the questions but she’s listening to you intently for that little nugget that she will drag that bit more detail from you. She’ll have a sparring match if she needs to.
“That’s important with Match of the Day – you only get a few minutes to talk about games and the moments within them. She’s the type of host who will maximise that window to extrapolate that little bit more. It’s a tremendous skill to make it look as easy as she does.”