Ben Shephard to join Sky Sports

Sky Sports has signed Ben Shephard to present its live Champions League football coverage and the Goals On Sunday programme.

On Friday, Shephard will appear on ITV's GMTV for the final time after spending a decade at the breakfast broadcaster.

He has now agreed to join Sky Sports ahead of the new football season on a contract worth a reported £495,000 a year.

Shephard will co-present the Goals On Sunday programme with Chris Kamara and front Sky Sports' coverage of selected live UEFA Champions League matches.

Aside from being a passionate West Ham fan, Shephard has also appeared three times in the celebrity team for ITV1's charity football format Soccer Aid.

"I can't tell you how excited I am about my new role and this new chapter in my career. The opportunity to join the incredible team that makes up Sky Sports is second to none," said Shephard.

"The chance to indulge my passion for football and to work on what is, without doubt, the most technically cutting-edge channel on television is something I've aspired to for a long time. What's more, my wife can no longer nag me about my football viewing!"

Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis added: "Ben is one of the brightest talents on British television, a fantastic presenter and we've been following his career with interest for years.

"His passion for sport and experience presenting live television mean he's perfect for Sky Sports."

On August 23, Sky will launch the Sky Sports News HD channel exclusively for Sky customers as it attempts to fight off strong competition from BT, Top Up TV and Virgin Media.