24 June 2023 , 09:00
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Fans of Jeff Stelling will have to wait to see the iconic football presenter return to their television screens after he left Sky Sports.
Hartlepool's most famous fan ended an era following the 2022/23 season, walking away after 39 years of presenting football with the broadcaster. His demeanour and rapport with colleagues during the weekly Soccer Saturday programme became a phenomenon, and there was relief among fans when he reversed his initial decision to retire in order to do an extra year.
But following his emotional departure, Stelling strongly hinted he was not retiring for good, tweeting: "It all seems like an out of body experience (with my body, you would want to be out of it). I wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming number of kind messages. I’m going to take a few weeks to assess my options and then decide what is next."
Sky are yet to confirm his replacement, while Stelling himself has already been in talks with the BBC and Amazon Prime. The latter are looking to bring in a big name to front their coverage of the Champions League, which they gain the rights to in 2024.
However, it's emerged that he won't be going anywhere until the end of 2023 at the earliest. Stelling is currently officially on gardening leave on Sky, and the Daily Mail has reported that the agreement will not run out until December.
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It means the icon is unlikely be back on television until early 2024. And given Sky will be all too aware of his appeal, the notion of them releasing him early to work for a rival broadcaster is an unrealistic one.
The former Countdown host isn't the only Soccer Saturday figure to leave the show in recent years. The likes of Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas and Matt Le Tissier have also gone, although unlike Stelling, did not leave on their own terms.
Stelling first presented football for Sky in 1994HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Jeff Stelling the best football presenter ever? Comment below.
And as Sky continues their changing of the guard, long term commentator Martin Tyler has also been removed from their live coverage of games. Like Stelling, the 77-year-old had been at the helm for three decades with his voice synonymous with the coverage.
Experienced commentator Peter Drury has since been announced as Tyler's replacement.