A legend of the game
Jeff Stelling has announced that he will be leaving Soccer Saturday at the end of the season.
Stelling has been the main host of Sky Sports’ Saturday afternoon programme for the past 25 years, and has taken the ‘incredibly difficult decision’ to step down at the end of the 21/22 season.
He announced the news ahead of the 3pm kick-offs on October 30th, confirming that it was his decision with no influence from higher up at the channel.
“I’ve got some team news from Sky Sports and Soccer Saturday to tell you about,” he said.
“I’ll have been at Sky for 30 years next year. I know it’s hard to believe, isn’t it, with these youthful looks.
“And host of Soccer Saturday for the past 25 or so – I’m not too clever at statistics,” he quipped.
🚨 | Jeff Stelling announces that he is leaving Soccer Saturday at the end of the season pic.twitter.com/2WvGmsJVa0
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 30, 2021
“But I’ve come to the decision, an incredibly difficult decision, that this will be my final season,” he continued.
“It’s been my decision. There’s been no pressure whatsoever, Sky have been absolutely brilliant with me, as they always have done.
“I’m not intending to retire,” he clarified. “That’s up to people out there, really. But it’s time to let someone else have a go at what is the best job in the world.
“After all, I wouldn’t want to get to the stage where I’m calling Raith Rovers, ‘Roath Ravers.’
“So I’m going to be here until May, and then leaving the show, and the company.”
After making the announcement, his colleagues on the panel, Darren Bent, Tim Sherwood, Clinton Morrison and Paul Merson, stood up and applauded Stelling.
