LEGENDARY Soccer Saturday presenter Chris Kamara has made an emotional statement after returning to punditry on Boxing Day.
He spent 24 years presenting Soccer Saturday alongside Jeff Stelling but stepped back in 2022 after being diagnosed with speech apraxia.
The condition slows down a person’s speech and thought processes.
Kamara made the switch to punditry following an extended playing career which saw him feature for the likes of Portsmouth, Brentford, and Luton Town.
Kamara made a brief return to presenting in December, reporting on Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day for Amazon Prime.
It was a dramatic tie, and, in Kammy’s eyes, a great way to cap off his career should it be his final TV appearance.
Read more football stories
Speaking to The Express, he said: “If that’s my last game as a reporter, what a way to go out.”
He continued, saying how excited he was to receive the invitation from Amazon: “At that time, I could hardly talk, wasn’t able to remember the players names and was slurring my words.
“When my wife told me Amazon had been on the phone I said ‘I know I am getting under your feet, but I’m not delivering parcels!’
“Andrew Hornet was on the phone asking me to work for Amazon Prime, covering the Forest v Spurs match with the unbelievable Jeff Stelling – and I loved it!
Most read in Football
“No anxiety, no slurring, the game was good and Nottingham Forest treated me like a returning hero.”
Kamara has had other invitations to return to the world of broadcast but chosen instead to focus on charitable ventures, most recently helping to launch Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal 2025.
The launch saw him take to the streets of Leeds to represent the charity, donning a bright yellow outfit as he spoke with locals.
“Marie Curie’s work is invaluable, providing expert care and support to people, and their families, at the most difficult times in their lives,” he said.
“Having faced my own challenges, I understand just how important it is to have the right support when you need it most.”
Kamara raised £385,000 for the Marie Curie Foundation in 2011, by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro alongside Brendan Rodgers and Aidy Boothroyd.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
