JEFF STELLING has revealed the REAL reason he is staying on as host of Soccer Saturday.
And it’s a cheeky dig at his old mate Paul Merson.
Jeff Stelling has taken a cheeky swipe at Paul Merson and revealed the REAL reason he is staying on Soccer Saturday
Merson famously got his pronunciation of Allen Saint-Maximin all wrong last season The 67-year-old had announced on air last October that this campaign would be his last in the role.
But as the campaign has neared its end, Hartlepool’s most famous fan has realised that he isn’t quite ready to hang up the mic just yet.
Now the Sky Sports legend has revealed what prompted the incredible U-turn.
He tweeted: “Thanks to everyone for their kind words about my decision to carry on presenting @GilletteSoccerS.
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Virgin Bet offer: Get £20 bonus when you stake £10 on racing, football or tennis “Felt job wasn’t complete until Merse finally masters pronouncing Alain St Maximin properly!!”
The Newcastle winger famously poked fun at Merson last season after the 54-year-old former Arsenal star pronounced his name wrong.
Merson hadn’t done his homework when talking about the Frenchman and called him ‘Sam Maximus’.
The 23-year-old former Nice star decided to have a bit of fun, and changed his Twitter handle to the new name given to him by Merson.
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The pundit appeared to enjoy the joke, retweeting it with laughing emojis and writing: “Apologies mate. Well played to both of you today.”
Footie fans are in ecstasy after Stelling decided he would NOT be qutting the iconic Saturday afternoon show.
He said: “Sky Sports is my home. And the Soccer Saturday team are a big part of my life.
“As the end of the season approached, and I was preparing to say goodbye, I realised that I was not ready to blow the final whistle and leave the best job in the world.
“I’m thrilled to be staying and excited about moving the show forward and creating more special Saturday afternoons on Sky Sports.”
Allen Saint-Maximin had a joke about Merson’s mis-pronunciation Credit: AP Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
