Kelly Cates net worth as BBC host's dad is 'greatest ever Liverpool player'

Kelly Cates is a familiar face and voice to soccer fans in the United Kingdom and has been a mainstay of the sport's broadcasting landscape for more than 20 years

Kelly Cates is one of the most popular presenters in UK sports(Image: Getty Images)

Kelly Cates is a familiar face in the world of British soccer broadcasting.

Born in Scotland, the 50-year-old presenter is renowned for her work across Sky Sports, BBC Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live. She's also got an extremely famous dad: Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish, who won countless trophies as both a player and a manager.

Cates has now taken up the mantle as host of Match of the Day on the BBC, joining Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman following Gary Lineker's exit earlier this year, a significant career achievement that underscores her status in the sports broadcasting industry.

Kelly Cates net worth

Owing to her long-standing media career, it's estimated that Cates' net worth is in the millions. While exact figures fluctuate depending on the source, some approximations put her wealth at around $10 million, a sum amassed from her presenting roles on flagship football programmes, radio shows and high-profile TV assignments.

After initial roles with Sky Sports News and BBC Radio 5 Live, she became a mainstay on live Premier League and EFL coverage, earning admiration for her composed authority and rapport with pundits.

Famous father

Cates is the offspring of Liverpool legend Dalglish. Known as 'King Kenny,' he had an illustrious playing career at Anfield from 1977 to 1990 and twice as manager.

He netted 172 goals in 515 appearances, clinching six First Division titles and three European Cups as a player for Liverpool, among other titles. He went on to win two more league titles, plus some other trophies, during his first spell in charge of the Reds.

Dalglish is widely regarded as one of Liverpool's greatest players, if not the greatest. FourFourTwo ranked him as Liverpool's all-time greatest player in 2022.

Sir Kenny Dalglish is regarded as Liverpool's greatest ever player by some(Image: Getty Images)

Dalglish also tasted managerial success at other clubs, securing the 1994-95 Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers and the 2000 Scottish League Cup with Celtic.

He returned to Liverpool in January 2011 and went on to win the League Cup the following season before his managerial career came to an end in 2012.

Cates has previously discussed how her father actively discouraged her from socialising with players during his managerial career. She said: "When I was the manager's daughter, I was not encouraged to hang around footballers; quite the opposite.

"I was like 13 or 14 and then a bit older. It was, 'You come into the office, you stand with us and stay clear of everybody.' It wasn't really a mingling opportunity.

"My first experience of footballers were (with) my mum and dad's friends. I would see the wives and kids as much as I would see the footballers. When it's your dad's workmates, they're not really that interesting. That's kind of how I first saw footballers."

Life after divorce and dating again

Away from the cameras, Cates was married to TV producer Tom Cates for almost 14 years before they separated in 2021. The pair share two daughters, and Cates has been open about juggling family commitments with her demanding career.

In interviews discussing her return to the dating scene, she's confessed to feeling apprehensive about being single once more. During her appearance on Gabby Logan's Mid Point podcast, she confessed to feeling "nervous" and unsure about her allure, not wanting to squander valuable time on fruitless dates.

She said: "I don't have a picture in my head of why a middle-aged, slightly overweight mother of two could possibly be attractive. I can't get my head round that. It's not that I'm putting myself down, and it's not a lack of confidence or a low self-esteem.

"It's just I don't know what that would look like... The thought of going on a date, spending an evening with someone and at the end of it thinking, 'Well, I don't really like you,' I would be so resentful of them taking up my time.

"Obviously, it's vice-versa, too, but I'm not really bothered about it from their perspective, bearing in mind I don't get to see the people I do like very often."