PHIL Clarke will not be part of Sky Sports’ punditry team for the new Super League season.

It was confirmed this morning that the former Wigan Warriors player and CEO would step down from his role ahead of 2024 after spending more than two decades as part of Sky’s coverage of the game.

The new year will mark a new era for Sky Sports and rugby league, with all Super League matches being broadcast as part of a new agreement.

However, Clarke will not be part of the coverage as he believes the time is right for him to “return to being the fan I began as.”

“For the last 23 years, I have had the privilege of holding a Sky Sports microphone and watching my favourite sport from the commentary box and studio,” he said.

“The time is now right for me to complete the circle of life and return to being the fan I began as.

“I now want to move onto the next chapter of my life and hand over the microphone baton.

“I feel compelled to thank so many of the people that I have worked with at Sky, especially Neville Smith, Eddie and Stevo, Bill Arthur and the rest of the team who helped me when I first started to work there.

“If my memory is correct, I played in the first game that Sky (or BSB as they were back then) showed of rugby league back on 1st April 1990.

“I now look forward to watching all the games that they will cover this season and beyond. I wish Brian Carney and the rest of the team all the best for 2024.”