Sky Sports are planning on making an internal appointment to replace Jeff Stelling as host of Soccer Saturday next season after the veteran presenter announced his departure on last weekend’s programme.
Sky are in the midst of a major cost-cutting exercise after losing nine per cent of their UK subscribers last year, with a number of their football reporters facing redundancy, and a big-money recruit from outside the organisation is viewed as inappropriate in the circumstances.
Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman was approached by Sky to front Soccer Saturday when Stelling considered stepping down last year, but existing staff members Jules Warren and Adam Smith are now viewed as the front-runners.