FOOTBALL presenter Richard Keys has resigned from his job at Sky Sports over the sexism storm that saw his colleague Andy Gray sacked.

Sky Sports tonight announced he has left his job after both he and Gray made sexist comments about female assistant referee Sian Massey before a match on Saturday between Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Keys said in a statement released by Sky Sports: ''I am deeply sorry for my remarks and the offence they have caused; it was wrong and should not have happened. I have thought long and hard and reached the decision that it is time to move on.

''Going forward without Andy would have been almost impossible. I am and will remain proud of our work with football at Sky Sports and grateful to the many people who have worked with me. I wish Sky Sports continued success in the future.''

His resignation came as Gray apologised for his role in the row, saying he was ''devastated by losing the job that I love''.

The Daily Echo reported how Gray was given the boot yesterday from his near £2m-a-year job after new footage emerged yesterday of him making “unacceptable and offensive” comments to Hampshire-born co-presenter 33-year-old Charlotte Jackson asking her to “tuck this in” and gesturing towards a microphone near his waist before laughing.

Keys was stood down from Monday night’s Premier League match between Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea after the mocking remarks to 25-year-old Ms Massey were leaked.

The pair agreed that women “probably don’t know the offside rule” and Ms Massey would drop a clanger during Saturday’s match but she ended up correctly calling a crucial borderline decision.

Keys had called the assistant referee personally to apologise on behalf of him and Gray.

He said: ''She and I enjoyed some banter together. We left on very good terms.

''I can't tell you any more about the conversation beyond saying she was in good spirits and I expressed my disappointment that Andy and I, misguidedly having a little fun, had got it wrong.

''There is no excuse anywhere for anybody to make any judgment on someone else's ability to do a job because they are male or female, it was wrong.

''Our prehistoric banter is not acceptable in a modern world.''

''We were wrong. It was wrong. It shouldn't have happened.''