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BT Sport presenter Jake Humphrey ahead of the Premier League match at Elland Road, Leeds. Picture date: Tuesday April 25, 2023.

13 times Jake Humphrey was football’s answer to Alan Partridge

Michael Lee •

Jake Humphrey is leaving BT Sport after 10 years of presenting their football coverage and it’s fair to say he has been a divisive presence on our screens.

Humphrey is better known for his High Performance podcast and churning out grindset mantras on LinkedIn these days, but the Norwich City fan has treated us to some more light-hearted moments of inadvertent humour during his time fronting BT’s Premier League odyssey.

From joshing with legends of the game to moments that’d make David Brent cringe, Humphrey is the overly-earnest manager at your local leisure centre desperately trying to make Michael Phelps laugh poolside.

As Humphrey prepares to host coverage of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Internazionale, we’ve picked out 13 moments that prove he’s been football’s answer to Alan Partridge.

David Ginola

The classic. You’ve all seen this. But the full clip is a (high) performance work of art as Humphrey attempts to give Men’s Health cover star Ginola some sage advice on looking your best.

David James

James has always come across as a serious man – the mellow type that only blows his lid when somebody leaves spoons in the fork drawer – but he was inches away from knocking Jake into the Irish sea here.

Martin Keown Pt. I

Forget Goodison Park, this scene belongs at a medieval joust.

Jumbo Jet

Just an incredible piece of television.

One of the lads

Couple of beers? That doesn’t sound very High Performance…

Awkward

Pure Patridge; the matey persona crumbling around actual blokes, the feeble attempts to style it out, the sphincter-tightening fake laughter and the crushing realisation of his own limitations.

Steven Gerrard Pt. I

Fair play, this one is actually class.

Steven Gerrard Pt. II

We don’t think Gerrard has forgiven Humphrey or ever will judging by this.

Mick McCarthy

Getting into a verbal duel with McCarthy is futile (unless you’re Roy Keane) and Humphrey came off licking his wounds after attempting some East Anglian banter.

Gurn

The type of facial expression that’s normally only seen in the early hours at Warehouse Project.

Martin Keown Pt. II

A truly Lampardian transition.

Banter

Rumours that BT Sport replaced pre-match coverage with clips of This Time with Alan Partridge have been strenuously denied by the organisation. We’re not so sure…

Peter Crouch

This might genuinely be the most fun Jermaine Jenas has ever had in his life, courtesy of Crouch shredding Humphrey like a billionaire disposing of their tax return.

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