‘Good luck with what comes next’: Gary Lineker pays tribute to ‘consummate broadcaster’ Jeff Stelling after the Soccer Saturday host announced he would be leaving Sky Sports at the end of the season after more than 25 years
- Lineker sent a message to Stelling online after announcing his departure from Sky
- Stelling announced that he will be leaving the network at the end of the season
- The 68-year-old has been at the helm of Football Saturday for more than 25 years
Gary Lineker has sent a stylish tribute to Jeff Stelling after the Soccer Saturday host announced he will be leaving Sky Sports at the end of the current season.
The Match of the Day presenter called Stelling a ‘perfect broadcaster’ in a tweet on Saturday afternoon.
Lineker’s message read: ‘Good luck to @JeffStelling with what comes next. A perfect broadcaster.’
During the live broadcast on Saturday, April 29, Stelling announced that he will leave Sky Sports Soccer at the end of the season on Saturday.
The legendary presenter has been a mainstay of Soccer Saturday on Sky for nearly three decades, having first joined the program in 1994 under its previous Sports Saturday title.
Gary Lineker paid tribute to Jeff Stelling on Twitter following news of his departure from Sky Sports
Stelling announced that he will be leaving Sky Sports and Soccer Saturday at the end of the season
The beloved presenter was the face of the weekly program for almost three decades
“I have been with Sky for over 30 years and have loved every moment of my time as part of the Soccer Saturday team,” said Stelling. Sky Sports.
Now is the right time to move on and give Sky Sports viewers a break from my relentless tirades, bad jokes and over the top celebrations of Hartlepool United goals. It’s been a lot of fun – at least for me!’
Stelling initially quit his stint with Soccer Saturday in 2021 after insisting he leave at the end of that campaign, but the veteran broadcaster eventually returned for an additional season.
It’s groundhog day, it’s that time of year, every year, when I announce I’m leaving Sky Sports and Gillette Soccer on Saturday. But this time it’s true.’ Position added.
Sky Sports has yet to announce who will replace Stelling as host of Soccer Saturday.
Stelling’s departure from the beloved weekly broadcast follows that of his former co-presenters Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas and Matt Le Tissier.
The former players were sacked in August 2020, after Sky opted to revamp the programme, in a decision Stelling called ‘one of my saddest days ever at Sky Sports’.
Fellow celebrity pundit Chris Kamara also left Soccer Saturday at the end of last season after revealing that he suffered from speech apraxia disorder.
“My long career with Sky Sports has never felt like work. I have spent 24 amazing years with Sky and I leave with the best memories,” Kamara said in a statement at the time.