Andy Gray and Richard Keys handed swift return with TalkSport daytime slot

The future of the presenters has been the subject of much speculation since they were fiercely criticised for off-air remarks made about female assistant referee Sian Massey, as well as other incriminating footage that subsequently emerged.

Keys was reported to have flown to Qatar to discuss a possible deal with TV station Al Jazeera. However, Talksport, which is owned by Northern Ireland media group UTV, announced that the pair would present their weekday mid-morning show between 10am and 1pm. The pair will present their first show on Monday.

Talksport programming director Moz Dee described the signing of Gray and Keys as “a sensational coup” for the station, who secured the first interview with Keys after the scandal broke. During that interview, Keys described his comments about Massey as “prehistoric banter” and said he had “behavioural problems that needed to be attended to”.

But despite the damage down to their reputation by the sexism scandal, Gray and Keys remain respected football broadcasters, having anchored Sky’s pioneering football coverage for two decades.

In addition, both men have worked on radio before. Keys, 53, began his career as a sports editor on Piccadilly Radio in Manchester, while Gray, 55, worked for Talksport – in its previous incarnation as Talk Radio – as a summariser during the 1998 World Cup.

The current occupant of the mid-morning slot, the Parry and Graham Show, has a listenership of around 800,000, a figure that Gray and Keys will be expected to surpass comfortably. Parry decided to leave the station on Tuesday.

The pair are rumoured to be earning a six-figure sum to present the show, although this represents a considerable decrease on their salaries at Sky.

Gray was believed to be earning well in excess of £1 million a year. Dee said the pair were keen to move on from the affair.

“The events of the last couple of weeks have been a lesson and have changed them,” he said. “One thing that hasn't changed, however, is that they are two iconic broadcasters who have a wealth of experience in the world of sport. I think it's a sensational coup for Talksport and great for radio.”

Not everyone shared his enthusiasm, however. Current Talksport presenter Adrian Durham said: “I’m no judge and jury – but I have my opinions. When Gray was sacked and Keys resigned I was critical of both of them. But I also said that both of them will learn from mistakes, and if they were to join us they will arrive much here better people.”

Meanwhile, Match of the Day 2 contributor Kevin Day tweeted: “Well done Talksport... finally they are dragging the station kicking and screaming into the 19th century.”

The station said there were no plans as yet for Gray and Keys to interview Massey on their show.