Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones has left his role with Sunderland ahead of the new Premier League season.
The broadcaster is a boyhood Black Cats fan and has been a non-executive director for the club since 2019.
Daily Mail Sport understands that the decision was 'entirely personal'.
Some have wondered if there was a potential conflict of interest at play, given Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League and the fact that Jones may well be working on some of their matches during the forthcoming season.
However, insiders have stressed that is not the case and have pointed out that Gary Neville – the Sky Sports pundit – is also an ambassador at Manchester United.