According to Daily Mail, Sky Sports will be making an internal appointment to replace Jeff Stelling as the host of its popular show Soccer Saturday.
This follows Stelling’s surprise announcement last week that he will be stepping down from the role at the end of the current season.
As per the report, the decision to make an internal appointment comes as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise at Sky Sports. The company faced a loss of 9% of its UK subscribers in the past year, which resulted in a reduction of football reporter positions.
As a consequence, they have chosen not to recruit an external host for the show, which was considered ‘inappropriate’ in the current situation.
By appointing an internal candidate, the broadcasting company aims to reduce its expenses while ensuring that the replacement host has a good understanding of the company’s work culture and requirements.
Instead the report claims that Sky Sports are considering existing staff members Julian Warren and Adam Smith as front-runners for the role.
Jeff Stelling is best known for his work on football coverage at Sky Sports. His career began as a reporter for local newspapers, before being transitioned into broadcasting.
Sky Sports hired him in 1992, and since then, he has been a familiar face to football fans across the UK, with his almost 30 years of presentation of the popular show, Soccer Saturday.
He is known for his down-to-earth style and sense of humor, which have endeared him to audiences over the years.