Like millions of football fans around the UK at the time, former Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo was a fan of the much-loved TV programme Soccer AM.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner spent six memorable years at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, where he lifted three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League.
He established himself as one of the most skilful players in the Premier League and beyond during that time.
And as a result, Ronaldo would regularly feature on Soccer AM’s highly-anticipated ‘Showboat’ segment – a skills montage featuring players performing a variety of flicks and tricks.
Whether it would be a stepover or a backheel, the Portuguese forward often showcased his skills as the song “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock played in the background.
Such was the immense popularity of the UK-based show, many footballers tuned in on a weekly basis, including Cristiano Ronaldo.
In fact, earlier this month, the 39-year-old was asked if he remembered the ‘Showboat’ segment on Soccer AM by former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand.
“The mindset has changed because I realised that the goals for our positions is more important than f***ing stepovers, which is good to showboat,” Ronaldo said on the YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents.
After a few laughs, Ferdinand replied: “You used to sit there and watch Sky Sports [and] when the Showboat segment came on, you used to go ‘ayyyyy’.”
Ronaldo must have been disappointed when it was announced that the much-loved Sky Sports show would be axed at the end of the 2022/23 season after almost 30 years on air.
Image credit: Sky Sports
With just ten episodes remaining of last season’s show, presenters Jimmy Bullard and John Fendley, as well as other staff members, were told about the news.
Bullard, who has co-hosted Soccer AM since August 2017, was said to be “fuming” at the announcement.
Soccer AM was a staple of many people’s lives since its debut in 1995. Since then, a host of presenters have fronted the show, including popular duo Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain.
From the iconic Crossbar Challenge and the Car Park Game to Skill School, Tubes’ One Question Only and much more, fans expressed their overall sadness at the news.
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