Jeff Stelling opens up on the ‘unhappy purpose’ why he not watches Soccer Saturday

Jeff Stelling has opened up about why he turned off Soccer Saturday after stepping down as host, despite his 25-year stint at the helm.

The telly icon wrapped up his time on the Sky Sports staple at the close of the 2022/23 season, drawing the curtain on a whopping 31 years with the network. His exit followed three years on from the shock sacking of his long-time mates Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas, and Matt Le Tissier.

Simon Thomas has since stepped into Stelling’s shoes, while a revolving squad including Paul Merson, Michael Dawson, Clinton Morrison, Kris Boyd, Sue Smith, and others keep the banter flowing.

Now a talkSPORT voice and YouTube channel ‘Football’s Greatest’ host, Stelling dished out the deets in his book “Saturday Afternoon Fever” about the public’s reaction to his departure and his current stance on the show.

He penned: “In the time since I have left Sky I still hear the cries of ‘Unbelievable Jeff! ‘ from passers-by and black-cab drivers. But often it is now accompanied with ‘It isn’t the same anymore, Jeff’. That saddens me as that was never my intention when I left Soccer Saturday.

“I won’t lie. I no longer watch the show that was my life for almost three decades. Not because I feel any ill will. Just the opposite. I have many friends working on the programme and I am desperate for it to succeed.

“I am lucky that so many people believe there is life in this old dog yet and have offered me projects. Not many people are still learning about and enjoying new roles at my age,” reports the Mirror.

Stelling’s decision to leave Soccer Saturday was largely driven by his struggles with his health.

In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed that the constant battles to express his opinions took a toll on his wellbeing. “Even though I’d been there a long time, I felt some of my views weren’t considered at all.

“Every week I was fighting a battle. I got tired of fighting and it was making me ill. Eventually, I went to Sky’s management and said: ‘This is making me unwell. I’ve got to step away from it.’

“I’m almost ashamed to say it because my dad worked in a steelworks and would come back from his shift covered in grime and muck and absolutely exhausted. He would never have allowed me to say I was shattered after a TV show.

“But I felt it was making me ill so I had to step away.”