Des Lynam did not give his BBC bosses the chance to keep him after ITV offered him the chance to present their live Champions League football.

Being involved in the £250 million ITV package to cover the Champions League and live FA Cup coverage was simply too attractive a prospect to turn down, he said, and there was no time for any counter-offer from his former employers.

Lynam said: "I'm sorry to say I didn't give the BBC a chance to do that and I was very sorry to have to tell them I wanted to move."

Lynam, who has signed a four-year deal which will involve only football, refused to reveal how much he will be paid. He said his salary was between him, ITV, his accountants and the Inland Revenue but suggested no one switch jobs for a pay-cut.

The super-smooth presenter, who was born in Ireland and whose silky delivery has become synonymous with the BBC's flagship Match of the Day football programme, said he had not been actively looking for a new job but the opportunity dropped into his lap.

He said: "The offer came from ITV at a time when I was thinking I was getting a little bit stale but I wasn't seeking a move. The offer came, I had a serious think about it but it was too good to refuse. I thought it would give me a shot in the arm and a passion for it all again."

Lynam admitted other offers had come his way over the years but insisted this was the first time he had thought seriously about severing his links with the BBC.

This time, the repetitive nature of his job had swung Lynam towards thinking a change would be for the best.

Lynam refused to criticise the BBC's sport coverage even though it had left him very little live football to present in recent seasons with Match of the Day consigned to a late-night slot.

ITV's new Champions League format will be broadcast at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday and will feature Arsenal, Manchester United and possibly Chelsea and Rangers if they win their qualifying rounds.

It is in stark contrast to Match of the Day which shows Premiership highlights late on a Saturday night.

Lynam said: "I have at times been unhappy with the scheduling of that show. For anything on British television at around the 11 p.m. mark, the audience will begin to diminish. In that respect, Match of the Day did good business."

But he was unwilling to point the finger at his former employers even though the BBC have seen the FA Cup, most of the Five Nations rugby union, Test match cricket, Formula One Grand Prix and Rugby League slip from their grasp in recent years.

Lynam's former Match of the Day colleague Mark Lawrenson blamed the loss of live sport on BBC for his defection to ITV.

"That is one of the great reasons why he has left," said Lawrenson. "I think over the last three years he has dropped severe hints to the people upstairs on the sixth floor of the BBC - the people in suits - that `listen, it's going the wrong way as far as sport's concerned and if you don't sort it out then some of us won't be here eventually when you think we are going to be here.'

"That's exactly what has happened with him. "Obviously he is going to get a very, very good contract, what I would call his pension contract - so good luck to him for that."

Former BBC TV managing director Sir Paul Fox also acknowledged that the loss of Lynam was a serious setback for the Beeb. Sir Paul said: "It's a massive blow for the BBC but that's what happens when the top sports contracts go elsewhere.

"The BBC have two meaningless football matches live between now and May, ITV have the FA Cup and the Champions League. Where would you go?

"No one is indispensable, but Des comes pretty close. Match of the Day will become devalued without him, Wimbledon will suffer and who will do the Olympic Games for the BBC next summer?"