For a generation of armchair sports fans he was the face of football in East Anglia - and tonight Gerry Harrison is set to return to our screens.

For a generation of armchair sports fans he was the face of football in East Anglia - and tonight Gerry Harrison is set to return to our screens.

The former face of ITV Anglia's Match of the Week last appeared a decade ago but thousands of viewers still recall his dulcet tones as a presenter and commentator.

Tonight he will present the first of the new series of Soccer Night and the programme will include a nostalgic view of the current campaign.

Gerry said: “It's strange to be back - I had to be taken round the place to find out where everything was, it's all changed so much. It's some time since I've been in front of a camera but I'm really looking forward to it.”

He fronted Match of the Week for a quarter of a century alongside reporters including Steve Rider, Michael Parkin-son and a young Kevin Piper.

Gerry rose to prominence when he entered the BBC's Find a Commentator compet-ition in 1969. He lost out on the prize of a working trip to the 1970 World Cup but was offered the post of commentator for Anglia and ended up covering seven matches in Mexico.

It was the first of six World Cups he would cover for ITV

In 1985 he succeeded Steve Rider as head of sport at Anglia, but left in 1993 and has since continued his links with sports coverage for a television production company.

Previously he worked for the Daily Express and BBC Radio Merseyside.

His time at Anglia included coverage of Norwich City's spell in the early days of the Premiership and the Bobby Robson era at Ipswich Town.

The show will include a behind-the-scenes look at eight league teams: Norwich, Ipswich, Luton, Colchester, Southend, Northampton, MK Dons, and Peterborough.

Regular presenter Kevin Piper will be back in the hot seat next week, and throughout the rest of the season will be joined by pundit Barry Fry.

Anglia Soccer Night is at 11pm every Thursday.