Former Sky Sports star Chris Kamara opens up on battle with apraxia

Former Sky Sports star Chris Kamara opens up on his battle with apraxia that left him ‘hardly able to talk’… as he reveals he wanted to QUIT broadcasting – but TV chiefs urged him to stay on

Chris Kamara has revealed that he was left barely able to talk due to his battle with speech apraxia.

The former footballer, who worked as an analyst as Sky Sports for 20 years, added that he wanted to quit broadcasting.

Kamara, 64, stated that broadcasters were eager for him to continue working.

Chris Kamara revealed he wanted to quit broadcasting due to his battle with speech apraxia

Kamara told The Daily Star Sunday: ‘Ten months ago, I could hardly talk.

‘The words hardly came out. My voice is my life at the moment. As a broadcaster, I need my voice and I need it to be spot on.

‘So I could have gone away and gone into the background. I wanted to pack it all in.

‘But ITV bosses wouldn’t hear of it. Channel 4, Channel 5 and the BBC were exactly the same.

‘Even now, some days I wake up and think, ‘Why am I doing this? There are people better than me out there who are more qualified’.’

Kamara, who worked for Sky Sports for 20 years, received many messages of support

Kamara revealed that he has received many messages of support, which he says has made him realise how lucky he is.

He said: ‘It’s overwhelming at times. People have been so kind and amazing.

‘It made me appreciate how lucky I am that people think that kindly of me and all the channels still want to employ me now. It is appreciated.’

Kamara returned to our screens earlier this year as he presented The Games UK and he is currently presenting Ninja Warrior UK

‘It is emotional, but then again I’ve got an under-active thyroid and that plays with your emotions anyway.’

As a player Kamara represented a host of clubs including Portsmouth, Brentford and Leeds.

Kamara was a hugely popular figure on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday and he also presented Goals On Sunday.

He is currently presenting Ninja Warrior UK and also presented The Games UK earlier this year.