10 July 2023 , 12:48
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Sky Sports are close to naming Jeff Stelling ’s Soccer Saturday replacement with Simon Thomas and Caroline Barker among the frontrunners to claim the role.
The much-loved presenter announced that he was to leave his presenting gig at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after performing a dramatic u-turn 12 months ago. Tributes poured in after he presented his final show.
However, attention then turned to finding his replacement. It was previously claimed that Simon Thomas was among the favourites to succeed Stelling at Sky and it appears that he is closing in on the role according to the latest reports.
As per The Sun, the 50-year-old is the current favourite for the job due to his experience. Thomas had regularly featured across Sky Sports before he took a break following the heart-breaking death of his wife just days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.
Before Stelling’s final appearance on the channel, Thomas tweeted: “Tomorrow a remarkable era of sports broadcasting comes to an end.
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“Wishing @JeffStelling every good wish for his final afternoon on #SoccerSaturday. He’s been an absolute master of his craft for 25 years & deserves his place amongst the legends of sports broadcasting.”
Meanwhile, he also hinted that he was aiming to find a full-time role following a stint as a freelancer. Taking to LinkedIn, Thomas said: “I've quickly learnt that being freelance in broadcast is not for the faint hearted.
“One minute you can feel on top of the world wondering how you're going to fit everything in; next you're feeling that uncomfortable anxiety pondering where the next gig is going to come from. Is the rainy day fund going to run dry?
Simon Thomas could be set to replace Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday (Getty Images)What is your Jeff Stelling highlight? Share your suggestions in the comments below
“Part of me loves the excitement of the unknown; the not knowing what might come next; but perhaps a bigger part of me craves a return to the days of a decent degree of certainty.”
Thomas does however face competition. According to the reports, Caroline Barker remains in the running.
She has regularly featured across Sky’s programming over recent years having anchored football coverage on the channel, whilst she has also worked for the BBC. It is suggested that the selection between the pair is a ‘close call’ but a definitive decision will be made over the coming days.
The decision comes amid Sky undergoing a huge overhaul over the last few months with a few prominent figures including Stelling, Graeme Souness and more leaving the channel. Meanwhile, shows such as Soccer AM have been pulled from the air following a long run.
Soccer Saturday is set for more changes as well, with the flagship results show moving to a new studio.
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