THE man who brought the Tour de France to Yorkshire, Sir Gary Verity, could be in line for the top job in the Premier League.

Sir Gary, 54, has been chief executive of Welcome To Yorkshire for ten years and played key roles in bringing the Grand Depart to Yorkshire in 2014, as well as setting up the annual Tour de Yorkshire, the Leeds stage of the 2016 World Triathlon Series, and this year's cycling Road World Championships, which will take place in Harrogate in September.

He was knighted for his services to tourism has also been a director at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and owns a sheep farm in the Yorkshire Dales, and according to Press Association Sport, emerged as a surprise candidate for the vacant chief executive position at the Premier League.

The Premier League has been looking for a new boss since Richard Scudamore announced his intention to stand down after nearly 20 years in charge last summer, and while Discovery's Susanna Dinnage was named as Scudamore's replacement, she reconsidered and said she no longer wanted the job shortly after Christmas.

A new shortlist has been created, and Press Association Sport said it is thought to include UKTV chief executive Darren Childs and ex-YouView boss Richard Halton, while some club bosses want the league to approach Gavin Patterson, who has just stepped down as chief executive of BT, or former Channel 5 boss Dawn Airey.

Leeds United fan Sir Gary is considered to be an outside bet at this stage, but Press Association Sport said his proven ability to work with sports governing bodies and government could make him more attractive if the league continues to struggle to find a media executive, who understands the game and wants the job.

While the search continues, Richard Masters will remain as the league's acting chief executive, while Claudia Arney is the interim chair of the board.