Ben's big move

New Goals on Sunday host Ben Shephard tells us why he can't wait to work with Chris Kamara!

Sky Sports' new star gets ready for his debut

It was one of the biggest transfer deals of the summer when Ben Shephard made the switch from GMTV to Sky Sports. One of the best-known faces on British television joins us ahead of our biggest ever season of live football after a decade with ITV's breakfast show. Now Sky Sports viewers can look forward to watching Ben co-present Goals on Sunday with Chris Kamara every weekend, as well as fronting selected live UEFA Champions League matches. Ahead of his first show on Sunday morning, skysports.com caught up with Ben to find out why he decided to move into sports broadcasting. He also talked about his footballing heroes, his love for West Ham and why he's not looking forward to doing karaoke with Kammy...

skysports.com: What attracted you to working in sport?
BEN: I grew up as a huge sports fan, a huge football fan and, for my sins, a huge West Ham fan. One of my greatest passions is being able to run around like an idiot and take part in as many sports as possible, so to get the chance to talk about sport professionally is a dream come true. It's a good excuse to not be in the pub talking about football - and my wife can't believe she can't moan about me watching football any more. It's research! skysports.com: And what drew you to Sky Sports?
BEN: Well Sky has been at the forefront of so many technological advances in TV. I've worked in telly now for nearly 12 years and Sky are consistently breaking boundaries. There's HD, there's the best studios and now the onset of 3D, which I saw the other day and it's incredible. Being in an environment that is ground-breaking is really exciting for me in terms of my experience. I've done all sorts of exciting things in my career in broadcasting, but this is something completely new. skysports.com: Who are you looking forward to working with?
BEN: There are some fantastic people at Sky. I'm a huge admirer of Richard Keys, who has been one of the best broadcasters around for years and I think Jeff Stelling is remarkable. Then there's all the analysts like Andy Gray, Jamie Redknapp, Tony Gale, Paul Merson and all the other characters. And then there's Kammy of course... skysports.com: Are you ready to sit on a sofa with Chris Kamara every Sunday morning?
BEN: I'm a bit nervous because I'm not particularly good at karaoke and I think I'll have to get a song out for him at some point. I'm not sure my 'Jailhouse Rock' will live up to expectations! But the thing that I love about watching Chris Kamara is his passion and his enthusiasm. I love being able to enthuse people about stuff I'm excited about and whenever you talk to people about Kammy, without fail they just love how much he's enjoying what he's doing. I think it's going to be an absolute pleasure and I don't doubt I'm going to learn an awful lot about football from him because he's been at the coalface as a player, a manager and a broadcaster for years. And if he can help me tune up my singing voice as well them my wife will be pleased! skysports.com: When did your love of football begin?
BEN: I went to school in Chigwell in Essex and football was all we played. With training and matches I played football five times a week and then I played rugby on a Sunday too. My mum always said I was like a dog; I just needed to go outside and run around! Kicking a football around with my mates was the heartbeat of everything I did and schoolwork or piano practice just got in the way. skysports.com: Were you ever close to going pro?
BEN: No. I played football like a rugby player - a lot of enthusiasm, but not much class. I've been lucky to play in some televised games and anybody's who's seen me will know I'm more noted for my very-badly-timed tackling than my striking! I'm a better rugby player than I am a footballer, but my chance of being a professional athlete fell apart when I realised how tasty beer was and how much fun girls were. That's what I blame it on! skysports.com: Why did you choose West Ham?
BEN: My family are all from the Midlands and are all Villa fans, but when I went to school in Chigwell at the age of 10, all of my friends were West Ham. They were the first team I went to see play and for years we used to go down and sneak in as Under-12's, even when we were much older. It was the most exciting atmosphere and the energy was - and still is - like nothing else I've ever experienced. Walking into your home ground and being surrounded by people who are so passionate is a singular sensation that can't be replicated, no matter how hard you try. I still get that buzz when I turn up to West Ham now. I've been lucky enough to get to know some of the players I used to look up to and play football with them, which is a big thrill for me. I'm like a competition winner when I play with some of those guys; I'm like any other football fan would be when I meet those people. skysports.com: Who are your footballing heroes?
BEN: I have a huge amount of respect for Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie, who are two legends of West Ham. I know TC quite well now and he's a brilliant bloke. Then there's Tony Gale, Alan Devonshire and Julian Dicks, who probably personifies my dream footballer. He was so committed and wore his heart on his sleeve - and he could smash a penalty in like nobody else! Further down the line, Paolo Di Canio is one of the greatest advocates of the type of football that West Ham fans like seeing played. I got to play with him in Soccer Aid two years ago and although people say you should never meet your idols, he was everything I could possibly hope for and more. He was really passionate about West Ham, he still hopes to be the manager one day, and hopefully he will come and be part of the club again because he is an icon. skysports.com: How do you think West Ham will get on this season?
BEN: After last year, any West Ham fan would say we just need a bit more consistency. We've got the spine of a great team in Carlton Cole, Scotty Parker, Mark Noble, Robert Green and James Tomkins and if everybody can play consistently around them we can play the football that fans of West Ham love to see. Hopefully Avram Grant will deliver that. They say winning is a habit and last year we'd go on a good run, only to see it all fall apart. I saw the boys play Chelsea just before Christmas and we deserved to win that game and I walked away wondering why we were down the bottom. The potential is there and every West Ham fan can see it. Let's consolidate this season and then get in the Champions League next year! skysports.com: Speaking of the Champions League, you'll be presenting some of the live games this year. Do you think we'll get an English winner this season?
BEN: I hope so. We've got teams that can do it and once you reach the business end you just need a little bit of luck and hope you can avoid injuries. The United and Chelsea squads, in particular, have got experience throughout and they have the depth to go all the way. I'm obviously a huge Harry Redknapp fan as well, so I'd love to see Spurs get in there and mix it up. It would be tremendous for English football if they could go on a run. I love watching the teams from all around Europe, but for me it makes it even more tantalising when there's an English interest because I'm a patriot at heart. Don't miss Ben's first Goals On Sunday this weekend from 11am on Sky Sports HD1 & 1.