Saturday football presenter Jeff Stelling also used Twitter to confirm that former Arsenal striker Paul Merson will remain on the program. But he added: “One of my saddest days at Sky Sports with the departure of three of my best friends. They were part of a team which for me was the best.
Thompson has been a part of Sky’s football coverage for almost a quarter of a century, with the former Liverpool captain filling the role of full-time expert after stepping down as assistant manager for the Reds in 2004. He said on Twitter: “I got it. 22 great years with SkySports. I enjoyed every minute of it with amazing people on the show and behind the scenes, which made it the iconic show it is today. Good luck to Sky, Jeff, Merse and the new gang on SoccerSaturday. ”
As well as being regulars on the Saturday Football Goals Show, Le Tissier, Thompson and former Scottish, Celtic and Arsenal striker Nicholas have often been featured on Sky Sports News to discuss hot topics and the latest news.
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Ian Wright, a leading expert himself, has slammed what the former Arsenal striker described as the racism he saw on social media in reaction to who could replace the trio on Sky. “What did Micah Richards, Alex Scott, Sol Campbell, Clinton Morrison or any other black expert have to do with Sky’s decision to get rid of these guys?” Wright said in a video on Twitter.
“What did these guys do? Because a black person or woman might have the opportunity to do this job. Why are people upset?
“These guys, Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson had an incredible race, it was a great show. It happens to everyone in the industry. It’s Sky’s decision to evolve the series and I wish them all the best.
