After almost 30 years in the hotseat, Jeff Stelling will host his last Soccer Saturday this weekend.
The broadcaster has become the face of Saturday afternoon for many football fans over the years, guiding tens of thousands of viewers through the latest results and score updates nearly every weekend and helping create some iconic moments including Chris Kamara's now-infamous catchphrase 'Unbelievable Jeff!'
The 68-year-old had previously claimed he would be retiring at the end of last season, but made a U-turn which saw him stick around for another year. However, in April he confirmed he really would be stepping down from his hosting duties on Sky Sports, telling viewers: "This time it's true."
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“It is Groundhog Day, that time of the year when I announce that I am leaving Sky Sports and Gillette Soccer Saturday,” said Stelling in a live announcement. “This time it is true. After 30 fantastic years on Sky, you lot out there have supported me, as have Sky, but it’s time to give you a break from all the VAR rants and bad gags and over the top celebrations when Hartlepool score a goal and give someone else the chance to do this fantastic job.
“So I’ll be leaving on May 28th, we’ve got a few programs between now and then, this is the last six hour Saturday Gillette Soccer Saturday… so we’d better get on with it!”
Ahead of his final show, tributes have poured in for Stelling, with long-time colleague and friend Kamara describing him as "the best broadcaster I have ever met".
However, attention has also turned to who will replace him, with a number of names familiar to Sky Sports viewers reportedly in contention to take over his hosting duties. Here's what we know so far.
Who is the favourite to replace Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday?
With a mammoth task on their hands to take Soccer Saturday into a new era, Sky bosses are reportedly looking close to home for Stelling's successor. The Daily Mail have reported that the new host will be an internal appointment, with the broadcaster not planning to bring in any outside talent.
While that still leaves a number of potential candidates, the Mirror report that former Soccer AM presenter Adam Smith is the current frontrunner for the job. Smith currently hosts Sky shows Goals on Sunday and Saturday Social, while he has also co-hosted shows on talkSPORT and worked on live coverage of England U21s, the Bundesliga and the Nations League.
Who else is in contention?
While Smith is currently the favourite, there are still plenty of potential candidates from among the Sky Sports ranks.
Julian Warren is another name that is thought to be in contention and the move would make sense, with the presenter standing in for Stelling on numerous occasions in recent years. Monday Night Football host David Jones could be another surprise pick while Soccer Saturday reporter Michelle Owen could move onto hosting duties on the show.
Other big names that were previously touted include Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman, talkSPORT favourite Laura Woods and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, but an outside pick now looks unlikely.
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