Ian Wright has sensationally quit the BBC as a football pundit, it was revealed by The Sun.

He left after attacking the corporation for being too stuffy in its match coverage.

He claimed he was forced to become a "comedy jester" on TV "to break the ice between run-of-the-mill Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen".

The former England and Arsenal striker, who earned an estimated £50,000 from the job, said the BBC's coverage of national games was too formal.

He said: "Times are changing. I don't know how long young people are going to want to sit down and watch that same old 'jacket, shirt and tie' format".

He claimed that traditional TV football coverage was out of step with what fans want.

In an interview with TV industry magazine Broadcast, he said: "Fans want people who are dressed like them.

"They've got no one to relate to on TV and that's why I've said to them I don't want to do the England games any more."

He also hit out at the role he was asked to fulfil on the BBC alongside his fellow footie pundits.

Wright said: "I feel like I'm just there as a comedy jester to break the ice with Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen who just do run-of-the-mill things. I can't do that anymore. People want something different."

A BBC spokesman said: "We wish Ian Wright all the best in his career."