"To work alongside Martin Tyler is a true privilege," he wrote on Instagram. "He is the 'voice' of the Premier League. Whilst he always made me feel welcome and he’s someone I trust as a friend and a teammate, I always felt he was a different level. A master of what he did.

"His partnership with Andy Gray was the soundtrack all through my Premier League profession and the most effective we’ve ever seen. The final 10 years working with Martin has flown by and has been a pleasure. His supply comes by means of exhausting work, dedication to the job and preparation like I’ve by no means seen.

"You’ve delivered some of the greatest lines in commentary along the way although some of them have been painful for me personally. I hope we can work together again in the future at some point. Thank you, you’re the best!"