Moving on: Alan Green (left) with former BBC Radio colleague, the late Graham Taylor, in 2009 - 2009 Getty Images

Atlanta United, the Major League Soccer expansion team, have landed a major coup by signing veteran BBC broadcaster Alan Green as their play-by-play commentator.

Green will begin his new job after the Champions League final, starting with club’s June 17 match at home against Columbus Crew.

In the Northern Irishman's delayed arrival, Kevin Egan will commentate Atlanta's first five matches televised on FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast, beginning with the April 8 match at Toronto FC. Green will 'call' the remaining 14 matches of the season.

They will be joined by colour analyst Dan Gargan and studio host and sideline reporter Brittany Arnold.

“We’re thrilled to have such a distinguished and dynamic group of talent for our broadcasts,” said Atlanta United president Darren Eales.

"With Alan’s vast experience calling major international tournaments and Kevin’s strong MLS and hosting background, they will lend a unique and qualified point of view to our play-by-play commentary.

"We are also very excited to welcome Dan to the team providing the perspective of a former MLS player turned analyst, as well as Brittany who brings fantastic energy and presence to the field.”

Green, 64, is a veteran BBC radio broadcaster, who has covered seven World Cups, eight European Championships as well as numerous other finals.

Green, who will return to England to continue his BBC duties in late autumn, is likely to be free to work for Atlanta next summer after revealing last year that he would boycott the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He said last summer: "I sat down with the controller of Five Live a few months ago to discuss a new contract and I think he was taken aback when I said, 'Look, under no circumstances do I want to do the World Cup in Russia in two years' time. Absolutely no question of me going there'."

Green recently stopped working for BBC flagship football programme Match of the Day last December.

He recently said: “It’s not a big deal. I was doing, at most, 10 commentaries a season.

“There’s nothing sinister there. It’s just that I’d get a game and often be fifth or sixth in the running order, so it wasn’t really going anywhere.

“The team on Match of the Day were really good to work with and it’s been good to do television commentary, so I suppose the scratch has been itched, yes.”

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